Amy and the Beast
by music4evah
Summary: Amy's life has always been ordinary, but suddenly it's all wrong. Hamilton is trying to win her heart, and then her father is missing...What beasts will she have to face to make it all right? This is my story for storyteller221's contest!
1. Chapter 1

**See? SEE?! I told you I had an idea! (And it wasn't too bad, either!)**

**Alright, for those of you who are not storyteller221, I have officially started my story for that little contest that they introduced. :] I hope you like it!**

**I do not own The 39 Clues. And I have not read book 7...Sob! Monday...I get it...Monday...**

**Oh, and I know, I know, some things are different in this...Well, it's to fit in with the story! Give me a break! (*Sigh*...You'll see...)**

**Chapter 1 - **

'_Once upon a time' is the way many stories begin. It isn't wrong, it isn't right. It is just the way things are._

_And so begins this tale, with those same words..._

_Once upon a time, in a land that was far away from here, there lived a prince. The prince was handsome, strong, and seemed to be all a people needed to lead them...On the outside, at least. On the inside however, he was a bitter, cruel man, who had no love in his heart for anything or anyone other than himself._

_Then one night, he heard a knock on the door of his castle. An elderly woman stood there, slumped against her cane. She wasn't a very pleasant sight, but she held a rose that's beauty defied description._

"_Please, let me stay for the night," she begged. "In return, I will give you this rose."_

_The prince scoffed, offended that such an ugly creature would beg to stay in HIS castle! He turned her away._

"_Appearances can fool you," the woman said, moments before she turned into a beautiful enchantress._

_The prince fell to his knees, begging for forgiveness. _

_But it was to late. The enchantress had seen that there was no love in his heart, and she laid a cruse on him._

_The prince was turned into a horrible beast! The enchantress said that the only way to break the spell was if the beast learned to love another girl, and the maiden must love him in return, too. She gave him the rose, and told him that it would bloom for 20 years. In the 21__st__, The petals would begin to fall, and the flower would wilt._

_And when the last one fell, there would be no hope for the beast._

_The beast returned to his castle, and he mourned his actions._

_For who could ever learn to love a beast?_

- - -

Amy walked down the path that led from her home to the center of the small town she lived in. She sighed happily, but at the same time, there was a hint of forlornness.

"Such a little town," she murmured. It was only a matter of time before the population woke up, and came outside to say–

"Bon jour!"

Amy heard a man cry.

Replies rang in her ears, greetings of a happy and busy people. Another ordinary start to another ordinary day.

Amy smiled, waving as she passed all the activity that went on around her. She side stepped carts, and ducked under arms, trying to make her way through. The days were always the same, here. Everyone seemed to follow a routine. Not that it was bad. Amy just longed for change, sometimes. Didn't anyone long to be...different?

Finally, she reached the library–Her favorite place in the village.

"Hello!" she called.

The librarian, Alistair, smiled warmly. "Hello, Amy! How are you? Finished that book already?"

"I couldn't put it down!" Amy gushed. "It was so exciting! Have you got anything new?"

Alistair chuckled. "Not since yesterday!"

Amy shrugged. "Alright...I'll check out...this one!"

She pulled a book from the shelf that had a worn, leather cover and yellowed pages.

Alistair's eyes widened, but he was still smiling. "That one? My dear girl, you've read that four times already!"

Amy giggled. "I know, but it's my favorite!"

Alistair shrugged. "It's yours, then."

Now Amy's eyes widened. "Mine...to keep?!" she asked, bewildered.

He nodded. "Of course!"

Amy ran forward and hugged Alistair. "Thank you," she whispered. Then she left, waving behind her shoulder.

Ted and Sinead whipped around from the library window. "There she goes," Ted muttered. "I know that, idiot!" Ned whispered. "She's the prettiest girl in town...How could you not notice where she goes?"

Ted shrugged. "Well, you don't always pay that much attention to–Ow!" Ted rubbed his head. "What was that for?"

Amy didn't realize the two boys were fighting over her. She was reading the book, lost in a different world...

"There she goes, that little weirdo," Sinead sniffed. Her two faithful friends sniffed as well. "Why does she stick her nose in a book all day?" One asked. "Yeah!" the other added.

"I don't care," Sinead rolled her eyes. "I only care about why_ Hamilton_ likes her. Really, he's the most handsome boy in town...Why does he like such a book worm?"

The other girls huffed, but Amy didn't notice as she passed a group of children playing jump-rope and hopped through, still reading.

Hamilton gazed at his reflection in a window. He gave a dashing smile, and then flexed his muscles. A few girls nearby feinted, but he didn't notice. What he did notice, however, was Amy passing by. He whipped around, trying to decide the best way to impress her. But then she was moving on, still reading the book.

Hamilton cursed himself. "Er, Hammer?" Reagan asked hesitantly. "Uh, are you done hunting today?" Madison elbowed Reagan. "Can't you see he's trying to win Amy's heart? Really, Reagan, think a little, for once!"

"Shush!" Hamilton frowned. "I don't get why she doesn't swoon like all the other girls...Really, I'm the best man in town! I'm the handsomest! So, I deserve the prettiest girl in town, and that's Amy!"

Madison nodded, smiling. "Of course. You make perfect sense, as always, Hammer."

Reagan stuck out her tongue at Madison. She was always sucking up to Hamilton.

Hamilton grinned. "Thanks, Madison! Anyways, she's probably heading home...I'll meet her off! I know a shortcut..."

- - -

Amy's breath caught in her throat. Oh, how she loved this book! It never ceased to fill her with wonder. This was the part when–

"Amy!" Hamilton boomed. "Fancy meeting you here!"

Amy rolled her eyes. "Hamilton. Pleasure. I guess..."

Hamilton didn't notice the sarcasm. "What have you got there? Another book?"

Hamilton grabbed the book, ignoring Amy's protests. "How can you read this? It doesn't even have any pictures!"

Reagan and Madison snickered from the sidelines.

Amy blushed. "Give it b-b-back, Hamilton. Please."

Hamilton tossed the book aside. "You know, you could spend your time much better with me, rather then that book. What do you say? Take a walk with me? Or you could come to the Tavern, and see all of my trophies! I got a few new ones yesterday," Hamilton crooned.

Amy tried to grin, but it was a forced smile. "Well, that's a lovely offer, but I can't." Amy picked up her book, wiping off the dirt that had accumulated. "I really have to go," she insisted.

Madison snorted. "Yeah, back to her weirdo dad," she scoffed.

Reagan chuckled. "Haha, he's not just a weirdo. He's a geek, too!"

Amy flushed.

Hamilton laughed, leaning on Madison's shoulder.

"Don't talk about my father that way!" Amy shouted, full of fury. Her father wasn't a weirdo! His inventions just...didn't always...work...

Hamilton straightened abruptly. "Don't talk about Amy's father that way!" He scolded, pretending he didn't just laugh at Madison's and Reagan's comments.

Suddenly, the four heard a boom. Amy turned around. There was smoke coming from her house!

"Father!" she cried, racing up the road.

Hamilton, Madison, and Reagan burst out laughing.

- - -

**Ok, I know, it's short, but I'm just rushing to get SOMETHING out!**

**Incase you didn't know, this is basically Beauty and the Beast, but 39 Clues style. :) It's such a perfect idea, and I don't know why I didn't think of it before...**

**I'll try to update soon, but this is all for now. I'll probably be following the story line pretty closely, just without all the musical numbers. (Sadly... It has some amazing music!)**

**Oh, and I'll be updating 'Midnight Wishes' pretty soon, too. I just had to figure out a few things. (There's a lot of people. Have to make sure I've got it all straight...)**

**I hope you liked it! :) Please review, and tell me what you think!**


	2. Chapter 2

Amy and The Beast

Chapter 2 -

Arthur's inventions were known for blowing up in his face.

He'd tried to create a machine that made retrieving water from a well easier.

It didn't work.

He tried inventing a machine to chop up wood by itself and place it into a neat pile.

It didn't work.

Currently, he was trying to make a device that turned the pages of a book for you.

And it blew up in his face.

But he'd been close this time! Agonizingly close.

Amy coughed.

"Father?" she called, worried. There was so much dust and smoke, she couldn't see anything. She fought her way down the basement stairs to where her father, Arthur, worked on his inventions.

"Amy?" Arthur coughed. "Amy, I'm–" he paused to cough, "Over here!"

As the dust and smoke began to clear away, Amy could make out shapes distantly–There was her father, over by his piece of work. She stumbled over to him, and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Father, what happened?!"

Arthur dusted himself off, and then began fanning the air around him to clear away the debris. "I thought I had it this time, Amy! Oh, I was so close...I'll never have it done! I'm a fool. All the other Ekaterinas will tease me, and I'll never be able to show my face again."

Amy shook her head. "No, don't say that! You're a _fine_ inventor. And the smartest man I know. You never give up, Papa! I know you can do it. You just a little more patience. Find out what went wrong, and see if you can fix it."

Arthur sighed. "You're right, Amy. I shouldn't be so hasty in my misgivings. I'll try again, and then I'll show them!"

Amy grinned. "Of course you will, Papa."

Arthur started fiddling around with the complicated machine; Something even Amy couldn't make heads or tails of.

"So," he asked. "What did you do in town this morning?"

"Went to the library," Amy replied casually. "Returned that book."

"The one you wouldn't put down? Oh, wait, that's every book you read!"

Amy chuckled along with her father.

"Yes, that one. And Alistair gave me a book. To keep!"

"Did he, now? Alistair is a fine gentleman. He's got smarts, too. Hey, would you hand me that wrench, please?"

Amy smiled as she reached for the wrench and gave it to her father.

"Anything else to report?" he asked jokingly.

Amy shrugged. "Well, Hamilton...asked me to go down to the tavern with him today."

"He's a handsome fellow. Strong, too."

"Yes, and self centered, and selfish, and a show off, and–"

"Amy!" Arthur warned.

"It's true!" Amy threw her arms about wildly. "Really, Papa, I know he fancies me. But I don't fancy him. Father..." Amy hesitated. "I'm so lonely sometimes. There's no one I can really talk to, not even Alistair."

Arthur looked up. "Oh, don't worry Amy! I'm sure you'll make some friends soon. Hey, what about Sinead? She's a nice girl, isn't she?"

Amy sighed. "She pretends to be. And she is rather obsessed with Hamilton."

Arthur chuckled. "Well, we'll have to worry about that in just a minute. I think I fixed it! Time to test this baby!"

Amy smiled.

Arthur placed an empty book before the machine, and then pressed a large button..

The machine whirred, making strange noises left and right.

"It's gonna' blow!" Arthur cried.

He ducked behind some barrels, Amy right behind him.

But it didn't 'blow'. Instead, the sounds suddenly came together, blending perfectly, until you hardly noticed it at all.

Amy gasped, raising her head above the barrels. "Father...Papa, you did it!"

Arthur looked up. His machine...It worked! A mechanical 'hand' reached down slowly, and soon, the page was turned, and the hand came back up, waiting to be directed again. "Haha!" he cried. He got up and danced a little jig.

Amy giggled.

"It works!" he shouted. "It works! It works!"

Amy laughed louder.

"I'm going to take it to the council right now!" Arthur cried. "They'll never believe it!"

And soon, he was in the wagon pulled by Daniel, their horse, the machine right behind him.

Amy waved good bye to her father. "Good bye! Good luck!" she called.

"So long, Amy!" he yelled back. "I'm off!"

- - -

Arthur wasn't one who usually got lost.

But maybe it was just because he wasn't sure if his map was very accurate, seeing as he hadn't used it in years.

Well, whatever the cause, he didn't know where he was.

"Ok, Daniel," he muttered. "Let's try to figure out where we are."

He was in the middle of the woods, and the road he was on split into two paths. They looked fairly the same, but one just so happened to look spookier than the other.

Arthur shuddered. "Well," he muttered. "I'm no coward. Come on, Daniel!" He urged his horse towards the spooky path, which Daniel didn't think was too smart.

"I'll give you a treat if you do," Arthur coaxed.

Daniel immediately headed down the path.

They trudged along for a short distance before they heard a howl.

Arthur whipped his head around, then urged Daniel forward again. "Come on, boy," he tried to comfort him. "It shouldn't be too far off now..."

Daniel slowly trotted forward, slightly soothed by his master's calm tone. But the howl came again, followed by more, and soon he was whinnying, pulling against his bridle.

"Whoa!" Arthur tried to calm Daniel down.

But Daniel tossed his head wildly around, trying to discover the source of the menacing growls before he tried to run away.

Arthur saw angry eyes from the brush surrounding the road.

He shivered, not sure what to do. There were wolves not 20 feet away, and they were most likely hungry.

And he was a feeble man, lost in the woods, with a spooked horse.

Naturally, he was a bit frightened.

"Steady, boy," he called, trying to sound soothing.

But Daniel wouldn't stay. He tossed and bucked, truly frightened by the menacing figures beginning to circle them.

He broke into a run, crashing through the wolves blocking the way ahead. He was out of control!

Arthur nearly screamed. "Daniel!"

Daniel flew onward, not paying attention to any orders.

The wolves were gaining.

Daniel burst through the underbrush, and stopped abruptly, stopping himself and the wagon with Arthur and his invention from falling off of a steep cliff.

Daniel turned around, and Arthur gazed hopelessly at the wolves surrounding them.

Terrified, Daniel broke free from his reigns and raced away, wolves at his heels.

The wagon creaked, and Arthur blindly jumped off before it fell down towards the bottom of the menacing cliff.

Breathing heavily, Arthur rested for about three seconds.

Then, scared for his life, he ran through the forest, trying not to think about what might happen to Daniel.

Finally, stumbling and drained, and as rain began to fall, Arthur found himself outside of a gigantic gate that led to a fantastic (though dark and gloomy) courtyard.

He pushed it open, and to his luck, it was unlocked.

He stepped inside, but heard howling behind him, and shut the gate quickly, latching it into place before six wolves slammed into it. He hurriedly backed up, his hat falling off.

He didn't try to go back for it.

He turned and gazed at the sight before him, which was a dark, evil looking castle.

_I suppose it only looks this horrifying because it is so dark and the weather is dreary, and I've had an awful fright,_ Arthur told himself. There was nothing to be afraid of except for the wolves that were whining at the gate.

He hoped.

Arthur trudged up the steps, and knocked on the door.

He stood there for minutes before he finally pushed it open, gazing timidly inside.

The entrance hall was dark and gloomy, dusty and seemingly untouched for years.

"H-Hello?" he called, stepping inside and closing the large door behind him. "I-Is anyone there?"

Nothing.

Arthur took a few hesitant steps forward...

- - -

"Really, Jonah," Natalie hissed. "We can't let him stay here! If he ever finds out–"

"Hush Nat, alright? I know what I'm doing!" Jonah replied.

Natalie sighed. "I still can't believe I was turned into a _hairbrush_."

"Hey," Jonah said. "At least it's something you use everyday. I'm stuck as a stupid candle stick holder. Well, I'm a black one, and that's pretty sweet, but still. What's up with that?"

Natalie sighed. "But still! Oh, shush, he can hear us!"

"H-H-Hello?" Arthur called again. "I hear you! Show yourselves!"

Natalie glared daggers at Jonah. "See what you've done!" she snapped.

Jonah rolled his eyes.

Arthur glanced around, then spotted a candle stick holder on a nearby table next to an oddly placed hair brush. He grabbed it, and brought it up high, trying to see farther.

"Yo!" the candle stick holder said.

"Gah!" Arthur cried, dropping the candles and falling on his back in fright. He scooted away, watching the object in fear.

"Oh, now you've done it!" Natalie the hair brush seethed. "You just have to make a big entrance! You can't just let him be spooked and leave us in peace to rot, can you?"

Jonah chuckled. "Aw, lay off, Nat! He's just an old geezer. No offense, geezer. Making a big entrance is what my life's about! And besides, the poor guy's shivering. He's all wet!"

Natalie grumbled. "Why do you care? You never have before."

Jonah shrugged. "Well, then again, Master's got to. Besides, he may have a daughter!" Jonah wiggled his eyebrows. (Which was hard to do, seeing as he didn't exactly have any...)

Arthur scooted back farther. "You're not hurting my Amy!"

Jonah smiled. "Ah, he does have one! Well, anyways, let's go get him warmed up. Not that I couldn't do that, but it would take longer, and besides, it's so much fun to light up the fire place! _Whoosh!_"

Natalie rolled her eyes. "Idiot...What if the Master finds out?"

Jonah snorted. "I can't believe you call him that. But who cares? He'll lay off!"

"No he won't."

"...That's beside the point. C'mon, man! Let's go light up the fire place!"

Arthur shakily got up on his feet, and warily followed the candle holder.

"I'm Jonah, by the way," it said cheerfully. "And this unhappy hair brush is Natalie."

Arthur nodded. "I...I am Arthur," he said.

Jonah grinned. "Nice ta' meet ya! Ooh, we're here!"

Jonah hopped over to the fire place, and with a _whoosh,_ it lit up, just as Jonah had said.

Natalie huffed as a coat rack draped a warm blanket over Arthur's shoulders and he sat down in the master's arm chair.

She would have pulled out her hair (if she had any) when Irina, who was a tea pot, came in and offered him a cup of tea.

She nearly screamed when the tea cup giggled, and said, "His mustache tickles!"

At least Irina shushed him, saying, "Nikolai, be polite."

Not that it did any good.

They continued to shower him with kindness and..._things_...until she couldn't stand it anymore.

"Stop it!" she cried. "When he comes, he'll punish us all. He'll throw him in the dungeon!"

"Natalie," Irina told her calmly, "I'm sure the master will understand a small bit of courtesy–"

But before she could say another word, the animated objects and Arthur heard a terrifying roar.

The fire was blown out by a mysterious wind.

Arthur shook. "Wh...Wh...What was th-th-that?" he whispered.

Irina scuttled Nikolai out of the room as fast as she could, and Jonah dimmed his lights, trying to think of an excuse as to why he'd let a stranger in, and Natalie just wore an expression that read: I told you so.

Arthur heard the door burst open behind him. His shaking continued, more violent than before.

He sneaked a peek behind the armchair, and then whipped back around.

What he had seen was a beast that was more hideous than words can describe.

"HOW _DARE_ YOU COME INTO MY CASTLE!!!" the beast roared.

Jonah stammered. "M-M-Master, he was lost, and cold, I just–"

The beast roared again.

And then Arthur knew no more.

- - -

**Woo...That was...interesting.** **I know, I know, Jonah and Irina were rather out of character. But I figured, if Irina still had Nikolai, maybe she wouldn't have lost her soul. Right? And Jonah...I don't know how to explain him. But I don't like him as a jerk. AT ALL. This Jonah was a bit better, and maybe somehow I'll be able to make him kind of jerk-ish, you know, only trying to do things for himself.**

**Yeah, I think I can work that in.**

**Anyways, do you like how I added in Dan? Sorry he's just a horse, but that's all I could do!**

**At least I got Natalie in character.**

**Somewhat.**

**Well, 20 years stuck as an object in a dreary castle with the Beast can change a person.**

**So review. You know you want to! [Wiggles eyebrows.]**


	3. Chapter 3

**Sigh...Yes. I decided to write another chapter.**

**I know, I don't deserve your praise. I'm so lame. And those of you who vote for me...DON'T. I'm not worth it. (Seriously.)**

**So...Go ahead. Read it.**

**Chapter 3 -**

Amy was in a foul mood, to say the least.

"Can you _believe_ that insolent _boy?!"_ she hissed to no one in particular as she slammed her front door behind her.

"That beast!" she cried as she kicked a chair. **(A/N: I just love fore shadowing. Don't you?)** "He practically _drags_ me to the Tavern, shows off his 'trophies', and then he tries to KISS ME!" Amy wanted to scream. "Oh, if I could just get a hold of one of his 'precious' guns that he uses to murder poor, defenseless animals with–!" Amy didn't bother to finish her thought as she tiredly plopped down in one of the two armchairs in front of the fireplace.

Amy gazed at the empty chair beside her, and remembered her father's success with his machine the day before. Amy smiled softly, despite her anger, wondering if he had reached The Council of The Ekaterina with Daniel–or Dan, as Amy had fondly nick-named him.

Suddenly, Amy sat bolt upright when she heard a whinny from outside. Her eyes widened, and her heart nearly stopped.

The whinny was the sound of a terrified horse. Amy was afraid to look outside the window.

"It couldn't be..." she whispered.

And yet, it was.

Amy finally rushed to the window in time to see the frightened Dan running towards the safety of the stables.

Amy pushed herself away from the window, and she hurried across the room and back outside the door, rounding the corner of the house to get to the stables. Soon, Amy was comforting Dan, something she had always been good at.

"You're like his older sister," Arthur would always tease her with a gentle smile when she was younger and had shown this talent.

"Father..." Amy mumbled. "Dan, where's Papa?!" she cried.

But it was no use. Dan was still shaking, calm as Amy was making him, and for the first time, Amy noticed his back was clawed.

Amy remember the tales of wolves that parents told their children to keep them out of the woods...

And realization hit Amy with a horrible thud as tears made their way down her cheeks.

- - -

"Reagan, please!" Amy pleaded. "I need your help! Hamilton would want you too," she reasoned. "I'll...I"ll e-even pay you."

Reagan's eyes lit up. She glanced around, assuring herself that no one was paying attention. As she turned back to Amy's desperate, tear-stained face, a wave of pity rushed over her.

When Amy had entered the Tavern, Reagan had thought she had finally changed her mind about Hamilton. Instead, she had dragged Reagan to a corner, and was asking her to help find her missing fool of a father.

Amy knew Reagan had excellent tracking skills, thought they weren't as good as Hamilton's. But Amy wanted nothing to do with him, and she knew Reagan was nicer than her sister Madison.

Reagan scrunched up her nose, then let out a slow breath. She said, "Alright. But...you...you don't have to pay me."

Amy nodded in relief. "Thank you! Can you come now? I'm not sure how much Dan will want to go back into the woods–"

Reagan held up a hand. "You can borrow one of our other horses. Come on. Let's go. It could take a while, and the light's really good right now. We need all the time we can get."

Amy wiped away her tears and nodded again. She followed Reagan out of the Tavern and to her small home, where Reagan helped her saddle up on a horse that was named Grace.

"For how graceful she is when she runs," Reagan explained.

Amy nodded, smiling as she realized that was the same name of her deceased grandmother.

The two rode down the path Arthur had taken days before. Amy didn't know how Reagan made sense of the dirt road ahead of them, but she quickly maneuvered away from the busy roads to the less commonly used ones, and the direction Arthur had gone.

Every now and then she climbed down to study the ground more closely, and Amy watched nervously until Reagan swung back up on her horse and said something like, "This way," or, "We're getting closer."

Finally, they came to the split in the paths that Arthur had reached the day before. To Amy's dismay, Reagan turned left, down the spooky path. But, Amy realized, that was just like her father. Trying to be brave, even when the only one around was a horse who didn't care about things like that.

Reagan shivered. "He had to go where the wolves like to hang out," she muttered.

Amy gulped.

They found the cliff where Dan had finally broken free from his bridle and had fled, and Amy carefully peered over the mountain side. She quickly retreated, not able to see the remnants of the broken wagon and invention down below.

"This way," Reagan urged. "These tracks are rather hurried. I can tell Arthur's being pursued, although they're slightly ruined by rain."

Amy nodded, climbing back onto Grace, trying not to tremble too much.

After a short period of time, Amy and Reagan came to the gate of the castle Arthur had entered. Amy gulped So did Reagan, but she would never admit it to anyone.

"I..." Reagan said as she gazed at the menacing building. "I...Think that's as far as it goes. So...If you'd allow...I'll just go. You know the way back, right?"

Amy nodded numbly, trying to imagine her father somewhere in that monstrous place.

"Well...Good luck finding Arthur," Reagan smiled encouragingly.

Then, Amy was left all alone, besides Grace, and the looming castle in front of her.

- - -

"H-H-Hello?" Amy called, much like her father had before. "I...I'm looking for my father!"

Amy glanced around, trembling violently. She took a few hesitant steps forward before she stopped. She thought she could hear whispers...

"Is anyone there?" She tried to project. Somehow, her mouth wasn't working to well.

The shaking young woman took a few more steps in the direction of the voices. Or was it just one voice? It sounded like a single one for an instant, and then one hundred the next. This place was definitely giving her the creeps. She was sure it would give Hamilton the same shivers she had, despite how much he'd declare that he wasn't scared of a few shadows.

But Amy was no Hamilton. (And she was proud of it.) So she followed her ear rather than her eyes. Not that she could see much anyways.

She passed through an open door, and saw a small stair case going down. Was that...a light she saw? It seemed to be moving downwards...and the whispers went with it, too.

Amy followed the light, tentatively calling out, "H-H-Hello?" again.

Finally, she reached the bottom of the stairs. There were a few torches lit in the room she entered, but no one she could see. Had the light just been a figment of her imagination?

"Is anyone there?" she spoke.

"Amy?" a voice cried weakly.

For an instant, Amy didn't recognize the voice of her father.

"Papa?" she whispered in amazement. Then, searching for his face, she realized...

_She was in a dungeon._

Amy rushed to the nearest door and peered through the barred window. Nothing...No, wait! There he was, scooting away from the thin window that let in a single beam of moonlight. "Amy!" he called. "Amy, get away from here! It's not safe! There is a terrible–"

Amy interrupted him. "Papa, what happened? How are you in here? I–!"

Amy was cut short by a horrifying roar. She whirled around, tearing her gaze away from her broken father.

But she couldn't see anything...All the lights had gone out! There were only a few patches of moonlight here and there.

"Who's there?" Amy asked, grateful she didn't stutter.

"I am the master of this castle!" a cold voice barked. "What are you doing here?!"

Amy backed up further against the cell door. (If that were possible.) She felt her father's fingers clutching at the bars behind her, and she raised a hand to try and comfort him.

"I...I came to look for my father," Amy explained in a small but what she hoped was a defiant voice.

"You have no business here!" the voice cried. "Leave! NOW!!!"

Amy nearly fell to the floor. "I...No, not without him! Please, he is weak! I think he is hurt! He needs to see a doctor...Please, let him go home..."

A roar came again.

"Wait!" Amy cried. "If...if you won't...let him go..."

Amy glanced at her father's stricken face behind her.

"...Take me instead."

"No!" Arthur cried. "Amy, you're only 17! I won't let you!"

"Papa, it's only a few months until I turn 18. I can't leave you here!"

"Enough!" the voice lashed out. "What is your decision?"

"I..." Amy paused. Could she really do this? She glanced into the cell her father was in. It didn't exactly look comfortable. But...She couldn't let him stay there! Besides, she would be able to find a way out if she needed to, she was certain. She turned back to the anonymous voice.

Who was he, anyways?

"St-step out in-into the light," she probed.

For a second, Amy thought the voice would shout again. But instead, a figure stepped into a beam of moonlight...

Amy gasped and fell to the floor.

There...stood a beast. Amy would never have expected such a monster. To think, staying here, in a dreary castle, with a..._Beast_...

Could she do it? _Would_ she do it?

She looked up to her father's pale face.

"I will take his place," Amy managed to say.

"No!" Arthur cried again, before the Beast nodded and declared, "You will stay in this castle, and never leave." Then he grabbed a ring of keys. He pushed Amy out of the way, opened the door, and took Arthur by his collar, easily lifting him up.

The Beast carried him out of the room, and swiftly took him out to a courtyard.

Amy rushed to the window of her father's ex-cell, knowing she would never keep up with the long strides of the Beast. She watched as he tossed him into a damaged carriage, slammed the door, and muttered something.

Tears ran down Amy's cheeks as the carriage somehow got up, and by itself, exited the courtyard and hurried down the road with it's passenger.

Amy fell to her knees again, sobbing. He heart was broken, torn into pieces. Maybe sge somehow could have persuaded the Beast to letting both of them go...

This was the position in which the Beast found her not to long after.

"Ahem," he coughed.

Amy looked up, and glared at him.

"Er..." he said awkwardly. "Are you coming?"

"You didn't even let me say goodbye," Amy whispered. "Now I'll never see him again."

As the tears flooded back anew, the Beast scratched his head, somehow wanting to comfort the girl. But his temper and impatience suddenly flared up, and he said harshly, "Come on! Or would you rather stay in here?"

Amy shook her head.

"Then let's go."

And so Amy followed the Beast out of the dungeons, dreading the endless days that awaited her.

- - -

**...I feel lame. I should have finished this forever ago, and I didn't. Sigh...Go ahead. You know the drill. Review...Unless you want Arthur and Amy to die a horrible and painful death, along with Dan the Horse!!!**

**Yeah. Pretty much.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Pft. I told you not to vote for this story. And what did you do??? Some of you ACTUALLY DID! ??? I won't ask...Anyways, yeah, here's the next chapter. Enjoy.**

**Chapter 4 -**

The Beast led Amy through the corridors, eventually leading her to her room. He pushed the door open, and she solemnly walked in.

Jonah came up behind the Beast. "Pst, yo, Masta!" he 'whispered'. "Invite her to a fancy dine with you!"

The Beast raised an eyebrow and Jonah's manner of speaking, but growled to Amy, "I...Order you to come to dinner with me in an hours time."

Amy narrowed her eyes. "I'm not hungry. I won't come."

"Yo," Jonah told the Beast. "Be polite. Chicks dig that."

"I..." The Beast amended. "It would...please me...if you joined me for dinner."

"I told you already, I'm not coming!" Amy said.

The Beast's temper flared up. But Jonah peeped up again, saying, "Complement her. Say something nice! You are trying to win her lonesome heart, remember? Go for it!"

The Beast cringed, but said, "You...This castle is your home now. You can go anywhere in it. Except for the East Wing!"

"Why?" Amy demanded.

"Nothing that concerns you!" the Beast spat. "I expect you in the dining room in one hour."

"I told you already, I am _not_ coming!"

"Well, then you can go ahead and STARVE!" he yelled. He slammed the door, and tore down the corridor.

Why should he care about some stupid girl? Sure, she could be the key to lifting the spell. But who could ever love a beast?

He locked himself in the East Wing of his castle. The girl wouldn't eat tonight.

But it wasn't like he _cared_.

- - -

Amy threw herself onto the huge bed in the room. Immediately, tears flowed down her cheeks. She didn't know how she had held herself together before. It had just seemed so unreal–Knowing she would never see Arthur again. He was all Amy had left. Sure, Dan was a nice pet, but...You can only do so much with a horse.

Alright, so you could do a lot with a horse. But it was better to have an actual _person_ to talk too.

And now she had no one.

She was alone. In a castle. With a _beast._

That is, until someone (or something...) said, "Oh, don't cry, dear girl! The Master just has a bit of a temper, that's all! 20 years in this old place can do that to someone, especially when he has Jonah and Natalie to deal with."

Amy sat up and gasped. No one was in there...Then who...?

"Over here, honey! Yes, that's right. The talking wardrobe."

Amy's head whipped around until she spotted the object.

"You...You c-can talk?" she stuttered.

"Why, I should think so!" the wardrobe chuckled. "My, you are a pretty thing. Now, why don't we get you all dressed up for that nice supper you'll be having with the Master? Come on, now, I've got some lovely selections for you."

Amy huffed. "I'm not going," she stated.

The wardrobe gaped. "Not...Not going? Oh, dear, no wonder the Master is throwing such a fuss. A beautiful young lady such as yourself, rejecting him? Well, any man rejected by you is certain to be very disappointed. Now, why won't you?"

Amy looked away. "He doesn't even care about me. He wouldn't even let me say goodbye to my father. Now, I'm here, all alone..."

"Now," the wardrobe protested. "I'm certain he does care about you! If he didn't, he'd have killed you by now."

As Amy's eyes widened, the wardrobe hurried to amend her statement. "I was joking! No, really! Besides, you are not alone here. First, there's the Master...Oh, of course, you don't feel very friendly about him. But I'm here! My name is Hope, by the way," the wardrobe smiled.

Another tear fell down Amy's cheek. "That was my mother's name," she whispered.

The wardrobe's face feel. "Was? Oh, dear, I'm sure she was quite a lovely woman. She had to be, for you to look so wonderful! Anyways, there is also Natalie, the Beast's sister."

Amy raised an eyebrow. "...He has a sister?"

The wardrobe nodded. (Which was a little unnatural...) "Yes. Now, I can't say too much, sweetie, but Natalie was turned into a hairbrush. She was quite a lovely thing, but she had a worse temper than her brother. They didn't always get along to well, but Natalie has, does, and always will crave power. The girl was turned into a hairbrush–Well, it certainly suits her vanity. You can see what she looks like, though, on the back...It's almost like a picture, or a mirror, in a way. Now, I think that would have been ironic. She never would have been able to look into herself to see her reflection! Ha!"

Amy nodded, trying to follow along, but not exactly succeeding. "Natalie... Sister... Hairbrush. I got it... I think," she mumbled.

Hope chuckled. "Ah, well, there is also that Jonah. He was turned into a candle stick holder. A black one, too. Now, I think _that_ is ironic, if anything! He actually always had darker skin, and he's always been a shady character. But he can be nice enough if he tries."

Amy let the information sink in. This wasn't making very much sense to her, but she tried to understand it. It was just like a fairy tale, or a book. Amy nearly smiled. Yes, she would pretend she was the heroine in one of her favorite books. Books always had happy endings.

Didn't they?

"Now," continued Hope, "There is also Irina, the teapot. Oh, she has a warm soul. And then her son, Nikolai! Oh, the little dear, bless his heart! If Irina were ever to lose that boy, she would become an entire different person. Never loved anyone more than Nikolai, no she hasn't."

Hope was misty eyed for a second, but then she snapped back to reality. "Well, those are probably the most important people you need to know about. Anyways, why don't you pick a dress out? Not that yours isn't lovely, dear, but..."

Amy shook her head. "I will not have dinner with that monster. I won't!" she cried stubbornly.

Hope shook her head sadly. "I do hope you are making the right choice," she said.

- - -

"So that's what she thinks of me," the Beast growled.

He set down his hand mirror.

Now, of course, anyone with any common sense would question the sanity of the Beast and the writer of this story.

But anyone with any imagination would be patient enough to allow someone to explain that the mirror wasn't just any ordinary mirror. It was enchanted, as so many things are in this story. Enchanted in such a way, that you can command it to show you anyone or anything you wanted, and it would.

So, the Beast had been watching Amy, and most of her conversation with Hope, the wardrobe.

The Beast stared forlornly at a rose inside a glass case. It was the only thing of any beauty in the trashed room, besides the mirror.

As the Beast looked on, a petal fell.

The Beast shook his head, and turned away.

- - -

**Sigh. Yes. I know. It's short. But I was bored!!! So...Yeah. Pretty much. (Why do people keep voting for me?) Anyways, have fun. Review. I am so bored...**


	5. Chapter 5

**Well, yup, here's another one. Really, I don't know why you people keep on voting for me... Oh, and I know, Hamilton seems like a real idiot in this. I don't think he really is one, but that's just the stereotype for the Holts, and for Gaston, who Hamilton has taken the place of. So I kind of HAD to do it!!!**

**Also, I know, you'll think it's long. It's to make up for the ultra short chapter I posted before.**

**Amy and The Beast**

**Chapter 5 - **

Reagan hopped off of her horse. She gave him a pat, and led him back into the stall, taking off his reigns, etc. Soon enough, she made her way back to the Tavern, where Hamilton and Madison would no doubt be at, annoyed that she had run off.

Yup. She was right. There was Hamilton, arms crossed, glaring at everyone around him. Once he spotted Reagan coming up to him, he growled.

"And just where have you been all this time?" he asked.

Reagan gulped. "Helping Amy," she told him in a small voice.

A vein in Hamilton's forehead throbbed. "Helping Amy with what? And why wasn't I there?"

"Because she asked for me specifically. I was helping her find her father, Arthur."

"Arthur? Why?"

"He disappeared. Dan came back to her house, frightened. Arthur was nowhere to be found. So I helped her out. Look, that's got to get me in her good book. And that puts you that much closer to being there, too! It's a win-win situation."

Hamilton thought for a moment. (Which he didn't do that often.) Finally, giving up, he nodded. "Alright," he muttered, still trying to seem fierce, "But if you sneak off again, I'll be thinking that you're up to something."

Reagan sighed, and nodded. "Don't worry. I'll tell you if I ever have to go, which shouldn't be too often."

Hamilton seemed pleased with this, so he let Reagan be. Besides, she made good points.

Reagan breathed a sigh of relief. Madison noticed this, and came up to her, hissing in her ear. "If you pull another trick like that to get you ahead of me, I'll squash you like a bug. And blame it on somebody else."

Reagan's eyes widened for a second, but then she whispered back, "I didn't do it to 'get ahead' of you. I did it to help Amy."

Madison raised an eyebrow in amazement, and shook her head. Reagan was definitely going whack-o."

"Hey, Reagan, Madison, get over here!" Hamilton called. He had moved over to what was basically his arm chair. He didn't own it, but it was his territory, and no one would be caught dead in it without his permission. No one wanted to risk their lives for a soft chair.

Reagan and Madison hurried over to him.

"What's up?" Madison asked him.

"I've been thinking," Hamilton explained.

The twins raised their eyebrows and gaped at Hamilton at the same time.

". . .You two look creepy. . .Is it that weird for me to use my brain a little?"

Reagan and Madison quickly shook their heads and shut their mouths.

"So, like I said, I've been thinking," he continued. "So, Amy was looking for her dad, right?"

They nodded.

Hamilton opened his mouth to say something, paused, then muttered, "I got nuthin'. . ."

Madison stifled a giggle, and Reagan elbowed her. She immediately shut up.

They stood there, waiting for Hamilton to order them to do something, when someone barged into the Tavern.

"Help!" he cried. "Help me!"

Reagan and Madison whirled around, and Hamilton looked up. They saw Arthur rushing through the Tavern, when he finally spotted Hamilton.

"Hamilton!" he called. "Hamilton, please, please help me! Amy, she. . ." Arthur gulped, trying not to let any tears fall.

Hamilton's brow furrowed. "Now, old man, hold up! What is this you say about Amy?"

"She. . .She has been captured! She is a prisoner of a terrible beast!"

A few gasps arose, but then it was drowned out by laughter.

"A _beast_?" Hamilton hooted. "How could a beast hold her captive?"

"He can talk! He is ferocious! He will skin her and eat her. . .She will be killed in that castle! Please, help me save her!"

"Whoa, old man," Hamilton cautioned. "You are obviously hallucinating."

Arthur shook his head. "No, it's true! I was thrown into a cell by that very same beast, after I'd run to his castle from a pack of wolves! Amy somehow found me, but before I could warn her, the Beast found us. She bargained for me to be set free in exchange for her, but I knew it was a foolish idea! Please. . ."

Hamilton smirked. "Oh, we'll help you, alright," he said.

"You will?"

"Out the door!"

And with that, two burly men tossed Arthur away like a sack of potatoes.

Reagan watched the scene in horror. Maybe Arthur's tale wasn't fully accurate, but part of it was, she knew it!

"Hamilton," she hissed as the others in the Tavern laughed and gossiped about Arthur's newfound foolishness. "I think he's telling the truth."

Madison scoffed at Reagan. "What? You're going loony, just like him!"

Hamilton raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean, Reagan?" he asked suspiciously.

"When Dan came back to Amy, he was all scratched up- By _wolves._ That was in his story, remember? He was attacked by wolves. And Amy and I followed his tracks to a creepy old castle, just like he described. I wouldn't be surprised if a beast had captured him. And then Amy went in to look for him, and I came back here. If Arthur's back now, and Amy isn't. . .He must be telling the truth!"

Madison smirked at Reagan, sure that Hamilton was going to dismiss her assumptions. She was surprised when he said, "You're right, Reagan. Good work!"

Madison gaped, and then glared at Reagan. She had just been praised by Hamilton _twice in one day._ That had never happened to Reagan before. Reagan had always been a loser, second best! What was going on? Everyone knew that Reagan was the softer one, the weaker twin.

But Madison's jealous thoughts were interrupted by Hamilton calling for hers and Reagan's attention again.

"Hey, I've been thinking. . ." he said.

"Again?" Reagan asked curiously.

"Yeah. . .And this time, I think I finally got something! You see, if Arthur is going on about a beast, no one is really going to believe him, seeing as they don't have the proof that Reagan does. So maybe Amy is hiding somewhere, to add to the effect. All we have to do is nab the dad, Amy comes out of hiding, we threaten her, and she has to marry me!"

Reagan stared at Hamilton. "But. . .She's going to hate you, Hamilton," she said dully.

Hamilton shrugged. "So? I still get to marry her. C'mon! We have some planning to do!"

Madison grinned. Obviously, the idea of kidnaping a wimpy adult appealed to her.

Reagan wasn't too excited, though. . .

- - -

Amy's stomach rumbled. She was obviously hungry, but she had no intention of dining with an animal who had taken her father away from her, who had ruined her life. That was out of the question.

So instead, she waited until Hope was sleeping, and snuck out of her room, softly closing the door behind her. Now all she had to do was find the kitchen.

Which was where her plan had a major fault. Amy had no idea where the kitchen was. How was she going to eat?

"Well, might as well start looking," Amy whispered to herself. She figured the kitchen would be on a lower level. It made sense. So she found a stair case, and went down a floor. She remembered that after exiting the dungeon, the Beast had led her up two flights of stair before they'd gotten to her room. So she went down another floor, and soon found herself back in the main entrance way. She looked around the dark room, barely able to see a thing. . .And then she heard voices.

"We cannot starve poor girl to death!" Amy heard a woman saying with an accent that she couldn't quite trace. (Her town was small, and rarely got visitors. And these visitors were usually family from not-so-far-away places. She'd never been that far away from it, either.)

"Do I look like I care, Irina? Obviously, _he_ doesn't.

Amy knew they were talking about her and the Beast. She walked softly over to the door from which the voices came from.

"Yo, I'm with Irina on dis one, Nat. We play it nice, they fall into a love fest, we all go free."

"Jonah, you idiot, it is not as simple as that!"

"You two both idiots. The girl is listening to us."

All three voices ceased. Amy gulped. And the door creaked open. . .

. . .To reveal a teapot, a hairbrush, and a candle stick holder.

Amy fought to keep her face straight and to let no laughter escape from her mouth.

"Do not laugh." Irina said. "I know I am not as formidable as usual. But making fun of this form of mine would be big mistake."

Amy gulped. Who knew teapots could be mean? "Um. . .Oh, Irina! Hope told me about you. She said you had a son, who's a teacup. Nikolas, or something. . ."

"Nikolai."

"Ah, yes, that was it!"

Natalie rolled her eyes. Amy noticed the motion, and turned her attention to the self-centered object. "And you're Natalie. I see everything Hope told me about you must be true."

Natalie perked up. "What did she say? Is it something I can hurt her for?" she asked hopefully.

Amy bit her lip. "Um. . .No, no, not at all!" she lied.

Natalie tilted her head. "Oh. Well, it's a win-win situation."

Now Amy rolled her eyes. "And you must be Jonah," she said, pointing to the black candle stick holder.

Jonah bowed to the best of his abilities. (Which really wasn't that easy.) "Yo, fair maiden! Finally, some gal to break the boredom of stuff we do 'round here!"

Amy raised an eyebrow, but didn't comment.

Irina just rolled her eyes at Jonah, who was obviously sucking up to Amy. "Now, dear, you hungry?"

Amy nodded. So there was a nice side to Irina, just like Hope had promised! "Yes, I am. I was really just hoping to get a snack. . ."

Natalie snorted. "If you're so hungry, why didn't you eat with I-"

"The Beast!" Irina interrupted. Then she glared at Natalie. "If you would like to sentence your brother and yourself to living like this for all eternity, then you may. But I choose not to break any of the rules he has laid out for us."

Natalie narrowed her eyes. "Well, that still doesn't explain Amy's actions."

Amy tilted her head, wondering how the hairbrush knew her name. Well, word must travel fast in such a 'boring' place. . . "Well, I didn't exactly have much of an appetite when he ordered me to dine with him before," Amy said without much emotion. "He had just taken away my father without letting me say goodbye. Irina, imagine your son dying without you there by his side to make one last goodbye."

Irina's eyes widened at the thought, and then she looked at Amy with complete sympathy. "That is most horrible," she said. "I am sorry for your heart ache."

Amy nodded. "Besides, I didn't want to dine with _him._ He has no manners at all! He is harsh, cruel-"

"And self centered," Natalie continued. "Rich. I am, too. And he takes absolutely no thought about his appearance. Really, this whole mess would be so much easier if he took a little time out of the day to look presentable. And he is rather short on temper, as well. Not a very good conversationalist, either. . ."

Irina interrupted with a cough. "The point is, Natalie, that Amy did not want to dine with him because he is harsh."

Amy shrugged. "Basically, yes."

Jonah grinned. "So if he was a little nicer, would you?"

Amy raised an eyebrow. "He would have to do more than act a little kinder! From what Natalie says, he sounds like a conceited jerk."

"That _is_ true," Natalie pointed out as she inspected her nails.

"Not helping," Irina hissed to her. Natalie shrugged, still gazing at her nails. Irina rolled her eyes and ignored her. "Well, Amy, you need to eat something. I will not let you starve!"

Amy smiled. "Thank you, Irina. Do you have anything prepared already? I don't want to disturb anyone."

"Oh, nonsense," Irina said. "You are not disturbing us. Most of us in this castle have done noting but serve others all of life. Well, except for the Beast, Natalie, and Jonah."

Jonah gaped in surprised. "Wha', Irina, my homie," he protested. "I have been busy enterainin' you lot!"

Natalie winced. "Yes, you really must work on that. I believe only that idiot Nellie liked your little show. Does she still hang around?"

"Why yes, she does!" he said. "And she thinks I'm a cool dude!"

Irina, Natalie, and Amy gave him a look that said, "Really?", and then they shook their heads, looking away.

"Tha's scary," Jonah muttered. "Y'all did it at the same time, yo. . ."

"Well, Amy, let's get some food in you!" Irina said cheerfully.

Amy followed her into the kitchen, where Irina motioned for her to sit down in a chair.

"Now, what would you like, dear?"

- - -

**Alright, I think I'll cut it off there! Anyways, I'm sorry this story is taking so long. I'm working out some issues with the wolves, seeing as using the murderous wolves is cliche, and wolves are my favorite animals. So I don't really want them to be the bad guys in this story if I can help it. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, just ignore it. You'll find out soon enough.**

**. . .Haha, I really liked Natalie in this chapter. :) She made me laugh.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Haha, I am so excited to write this right now. I have drive! :)**

**Amy and the Beast**

Chapter 6 -

Amy was satisfied with a simple meal, although Irina kept on prompting her to eat more, not wanting her to stay hungry. Amy smiled and shook her head after each offer, and stuck to a bowl of soup and a piece of bread.

After making sure that Amy wasn't going to eat another bite, Irina sighed in content. "Well, that just about settles things, does it not?"

Amy grinned. "That was fantastic. Is the food here always like that?"

Irina nodded. "When The Master does not find his way in here with short temper and fails to damage any of my supplies," she chuckled.

Natalie glared. "Would you stop it? He is bound to come and find her here sometime. He will be angry, and he must certainly will _not_ fail to damage your kitchen, Irina!"

Irina shrugged. (As well as she could while being a teapot, that is.) "I do not care. This poor girl is our guest!"

Amy blushed. "Oh, I'm really no one special. You don't have to treat me like a princess or anything."

"See?" Natalie gestured. "She agrees!"

Irina rolled her eyes. "No matter. It is already done!"

Amy smiled, then had a spark of inspiration to calm Natalie down. "Hey, Natalie," she said.

"What?" Natalie spat.

"You're smart, right?"

Natalie rolled her eyes. "Duh. And if you had half of my brains, you would not have ever come out of your room until 'The Master' told you to."

Amy winced. This might not be as easy as she thought. "Well, I was thinking. You probably know all about this place, right?"

Natalie shrugged. "I really had nothing else to do but beautify myself. So, yes, I know plenty about this castle."

A smile lit up Amy's face. "So you can show me around! Your 'Master', the Beast, said that there was a certain place I couldn't go to. I have no idea where that is. I hardly know where anything here is. And I don't want to go asking the Beast for directions. I'm afraid he'll shout at me again. Can you maybe give me a tour?"

Natalie considered Amy's suggestion for a bit. Then Jonah's eyes widened.

"Yo, Nats!" he called. "I just gotta' bright idea! Listen.." Jonah then proceeded to whisper enthusiastically to her, which she wasn't too enthusiastic about. But then her face started to clear, and she nodded.

"That is actually not too bad. I agree."

And with that, Jonah jumped off of the table he was on, and hurried out of the room.

Natalie turned back to Amy, all smiles. "Well, let's get on with that tour now, shall we?"

Amy raised an eyebrow, but didn't abject. At least Natalie wasn't screaming at her to go back to her room anymore.

- - -

Jonah grinned, rather pleased with himself. Now, he wasn't usually that smart. Well, of course he pretended he was. But he wasn't that good at coming up with ideas.

So this was a pretty good accomplishment.

Jonah was absolutely tired of being stuck as a candle stick holder. Really, it was pathetic, as cool as it was that he was a black one. But black or not, he was sick of it. And so he wanted that stupid curse- Er, _enchantment_...broken as soon as possible. He wouldn't have cared at all if he wasn't concerned with it. So, he had plotted with Natalie to make The Master and Amy fall in love.

Easier said than done.

But it was a start, and he had no idea how they would get together otherwise. And if he ended up murdering Amy, what with his short temper and all...Well, that was a risk he was willing to take.

Jonah soon found himself in front of the door leading to the West Wing. He took a deep breath, and put a serious look on his face.

Show time.

- - -

Amy found it hard to keep up with Natalie, which was rather strange, seeing as Natalie was a _hairbrush._ Sure, she wasn't the average tool you'd use to brush out your hair, but still. She was hairbrush nonetheless. Maybe it was because she was so small, and she knew her way around the castle better then Amy did.

"Natalie?" Amy called. "Natalie, where did you go?"

"Over here!" a voice called. That _was_ Natalie, right?

Amy walked towards the voice, and rounded a corned. She looked around, confused, and terribly lost. Where had Natalie gone?

Then she heard a gruff voice.

"Jonah, what nonsense is this about? We've gone around in circles!"

Then the Beast rounded a corner, and saw Amy down the hall, standing in shock.

The Beast stared at her for a while, and then turned to Jonah. "How–"

But Jonah was nowhere to be found.

Amy gulped. Why had she thought that she would be able to avoid the Beast? She bit her lip, not sure what to do, and laid a hand on a part of the wall, leaning on it slightly. And then the wall moved.

The Beast's head snapped up. "What did you do?!" he thundered.

Amy gaped at the doorway in the wall. "I...I'm not sure!"

And then Amy felt a nudge from behind her, and she lost her balance, and she was in the dark secret room, and then the Beast was howling. Suddenly, he was in the room with her. Then everything was dark for two seconds. Lights suddenly sprang up, and Amy could see torches along the wall. There were only six, though, and Amy could see that this wasn't just a room-It was a passageway. She wasn't sure how long it was, but it definitely stretched out of sight of the light the torches threw.

The Beast growled, and pounded on the wall that had closed behind them. "JONAH! Let me out of here!"

Amy scooted backwards, but then winced, letting out a cry.

The Beast turned around. It was as if he had forgotten that Amy was there. "What?" he asked, annoyed.

Amy felt her left ankle, wincing again. "I twisted my ankle."

The Beast rolled his eyes. "It can't be that bad."

Amy glared. "Well you wouldn't care, anyways!"

"Why should I?!"

"Because you ruined my life! Doesn't that make you feel bad _at all?!_"

The Beast snorted. "If I do, it's not as if you would _want_ my sympathy!"

"How do you know what I want?!"

"Well you obviously don't want anything to do with me."

"No, _really?_ What gave you that impression?"

Growls. "You insolent girl!"

Amy's eyes narrowed. "I have a name, you know."

"And why would I care enough to use it?"

"Because it's better than acting as if I was a thing. My name is Amy," she said through clenched teeth.

"Alright then, _Amy_, can you walk?" he sneered.

Amy bit her tongue. She was close to losing her temper completely, but she checked herself. "No, I cannot."

He rolled his eyes. "Of course you can! It would just cause you excruciating amounts of pain, and you would crumple to the ground, not able to withstand it."

Amy's mouth fell open. What right did he have to insult her this way?! She scooted over to him, then said, "That's why I'm going to lean on you." With an ironic smile, Amy put all of her weight on the Beast so that she could stand up.

Now the Beast was clearly angry. He just barely managed to keep his temper in control.

Barely.

"There is nothing stopping me from just flinging you as far as I can," he growled between clenched teeth.

Amy chuckled. "No, there is something. If you didn't care about me at all, I would still be in that cell that my father was in previously. But, obviously, I am worth _something_ to you, although what I can't imagine, and so, therefore, you will not risk 'flinging me as far as you can'."

The Beast stared at Amy in surprise. The girl was smart. That was an improvement. "Alright. So I value your pathetic life. Somewhat."

Amy smiled triumphantly. "I thought so. So, how are we going to get out of here, ..." Amy bit her lip. "Oh. You must have a name, right? I don't really want to call you 'Beast' for the rest of my life."

The Beast raised an eyebrow. "Of course I have a name. I was called Ian."

"Was?"

"I don't prefer to be called that nowadays."

"Well too bad for you. I'm not calling you 'Master', as so many here seem to do."

Ian sighed. "I had my reasons for that."

Amy rolled her eyes, then changed the subject. "I suggest we take one of these torches and follow the passage as far as we can. There might be a way out."

"Since when are you in charge?"

"Who said I was? Now grab a torch."

Ian did so, grumbling all the way. Well, at least he wasn't stuck here with Natalie. That had to be worse. Right?

The Beast held the torch high so that he and Amy could see further, and held out his arm so that Amy could lean on it. They made their way in silence for a while, until Ian finally said something.

"So...Do you like it here?"

Amy raised her eyebrows. "Seriously? No, I rather hate it. Sure, Hope is nice, and Irina is, too. Her son is funny. But...Jonah is a suck up, Natalie is a brat, and I can't do very much. Just sit and wonder why fate had to be so cruel as to stick me in a huge, dark, creepy castle with..." Amy trailed off. She didn't want to tell Ian exactly what she thought of him. She was actually rather scared of being flung into the darkness.

"With," The Beast prompted.

"...With an arrogant, cruel, temperamental beast."

Ian sighed. "I thought you would say something like that."

Amy looked up from studying the ground. "Really? Huh, I thought you were going to start flinging me."

"Well, now that you mention it..."

Amy stared at him in alarm. Ian chuckled.

"I was joking!" He managed to crack a smile. (Which didn't look too inviting on his beastly face. But it's the thought that counts.)

Amy blew out a breath. "Warn me next time before I get a heart attack, alright?"

Silence ruled their conversation once more, before Amy piped up again. "So what's the deal with this enchantment?"

Ian tensed. "What? What enchantment? I have no idea what you are talking about."

Amy rolled her eyes. "Come on, don't lie! Hope mentioned something about an enchantment of sorts."

"How much did she say?" he growled.

"Not much," Amy shrugged. "Really, she just said, 'Before this enchantment...Oh, sorry dear, I can't tell you too much about that.' So would you mind clearing me up about it?"

Ian shook his head. "No."

"Why not?"

"It's rather personal. I have one shot left to make everything right." Ian looked down. "I don't want to mess it up. Not that I expect to get out of this."

Amy thought about his words for a bit. "Who knew you could be so...What's the word? Sensitive?"

The Beast's eyebrows went up. "Sensitive?"

She nodded. "For one thing, you're not shouting at me. Or insulting me. Or threatening me. This has to be a first. Also...I actually feel bad for you. Which is another first."

Ian tilted his head. "You know, I think it is."

Amy started to nod, but then suddenly stopped. "Is it just me...Or is the ground sloping upward?"

The Beast looked around. "It is! Come on, the end of this can't be too far."

Soon enough, like Ian said, they reached the end of the secret passageway, and found the exit, which led to the kitchens. Irina fussed over Amy for a little bit, noting her dirt stained dress and her twisted ankle. (And the fact that she was still being supported by the Beast.) Maybe Natalie and Jonah's little scheme had actually worked. Somewhat.

Once Amy was again in her room, resting her ankle, Irina turned to Ian.

"Well? What happened?"

Ian cringed. "Jonah somehow got me into that stupid passageway. I think he burned my feet."

Irina examined the Beast's large paws. "He did! How on this earth did you support Amy with terrible scorches?!"

Ian's brow furrowed. "I...am not sure..."

Irina huffed. "Well. You are not only one who must rest feet. Go! Now!"

Surprisingly enough, the Beast did as she said. Maybe it was because his paws were hurting him terribly. Maybe it was because he wasn't sure what Irina would do if he disobeyed. Or maybe because he was distracted by his haunting thoughts.

_If I can't make Amy fall in love with me...I'll never be free of this curse. Enchantment. Whatever it is. It wouldn't be so hard if I wasn't so...beastly. But if I can't love her as well...What will I do?_

Ian shook his head. True, he and the girl-Amy- had gotten along fairly well for a minute or two. But still, the air had been tense, and the only reason he hadn't snapped at her as much as he would to anyone else was because he knew he would never win her heart that way.

But if that was the only reason he was doing this...He had to love her, too. And he didn't see how he could do that. He didn't know anything about her, and the thought of consorting with a peasant didn't exactly appeal to him.

But she hadn't wanted anything to do with him, either. They both hated each other. (Well, disliked, at least.) It certainly wouldn't be easy. Not to mention the fact that she now _pitied_ him. That was rather unsettling. He didn't want pity. He wanted to be free of this stupid enchantment!

Amy, meanwhile, was trying to confront herself about what had just happened. The Beast-no, Ian- had just proven that he wasn't always a harsh beast. Although he was still a horrible person, just like Natalie had described. He obviously wasn't going to reveal his many secrets, and he didn't seem to want to do anything with her.

_Maybe he's just been so lonely for so long that he's not used to being kind._

This thought startled Amy. But what if it was true?

- - -

**Crap. I am running against 'The Story of Ambrosine and Ioannes.' AGAIN. Rather nerve racking. I really questioned people's sanity, seeing as they hadn't read any of my awesome chapters yet. Really, I was rather concerned. You can't read my mind, can you??? Well, anyways...Yeah.**

**Hey, go check out this one song, from Beauty and the Beast THE BROADWAY VERSION. It's called 'If I Can't Love Her'. Sung by the Beast. :) I love it. It's so much fun to play on the piano! Anyways, yeah, check it out. And tell me what you think of this chapter! I thought the passageway was a much better turning point then the wolves. There's still a lot of progress to be made between Ian and Amy, obviously, but it's a start!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7 - **

Jonah thought his plan had gone well. He hadn't really been able to see it in action as much as he would have liked, but still. Progress had been made, he was certain of it.

That was made obvious by the fact that Amy actually agreed to eat breakfast with the Beast. Why would she have said yes if she wasn't more comfortable with him? Sure, they probably weren't serious, but he could feel the feelings beginning to show.

Or maybe he was getting confused with his moments with Nellie...Eh, whatever. Something was happening, at least.

That _was_ good, wasn't it?

- - -

Amy wasn't sure why she had decided to give Ian another chance and agreed to eat a meal with him. Really, they hadn't exactly 'gotten along' when they had been trapped. Sure, they'd had a moment, if you could even call it that.

But...bickering with him could be fun. And besides, she didn't want him to explode again. Might as well try to get on his good side.

So that was why Amy was sitting across the table from Ian at a dining table. It seemed rather awkward, and Amy just studied the silverware. There wasn't much else she could do.

Then Irina came in with a tray of steaming food, and laid a plate of it in front of Ian first, and then one for Amy.

Amy smiled. The meal was scrambled eggs and bacon. She remembered the first time her father had taught her to make this.

Well, tried. Like most of his inventions, it blew up in their faces. But it had been fun anyways.

The Beast raised an eyebrow at Amy. "What is so funny?"

Amy bit her lip, shaking her head. "Just a...a memory. The first time my father tried to teach me how to make scrambled eggs and bacon, it blew up in our faces."

Ian stared at her. "You...learned how to make this?"

She nodded. "Yeah. That's something that regular people do," she said slowly, making sure he would understand her.

"Pft. I knew _that._"

"Did you really?"

"Of course! Just...just start eating," he grumbled.

Amy wanted to smirk. So badly. But she kept her smile to herself and did as he said. But after the first bite, her eyes widened.

Ian had been fiddling with his fork, but he noticed Amy's shocked expression. "What?" he asked, worried. (Although why, he had no idea. Maybe he was just trying to act like her care about her in the slightest bit. For the curse. Enchantment. Whatever.)

Amy shook her head. "This...This is amazing! Irina, where on earth did you learn to cook like this?!" she called. The soup last night had been fabulous, yes, but...Amy had never had eggs like this...How would the _bacon_ taste?

"The KGB," she said. "Keystones to Great Baking. It is program in Russia. It was quite the experience, and I took many courses, obviously not just baking."

Amy laughed. "Well, I am very glad you did! I've never had better food. Mostly because I learned most of my cooking skills from my father, and he is not very...Er, skilled in that area."

"Your father?" Irina asked. "You never learned from your mother?"

"No," Amy shook her head. "She died when I was only 7. I can barely remember her."

"Oh, what a pity," Irina sympathized. "Well, enjoy meal! And if you need anything else, just let out shout!"

Amy grinned at Irina's accent, and nodded. Then she turned back to her plate and continued eating.

The meal was continued in silence until Ian asked Amy a question. "How did your mother die?"

Amy stopped, her fork inches from her opened mouth. She closed it and slowly set down her fork, staring at the Beast.

"She died in a fire," she whispered.

Ian nodded slowly. "I...am sorry," he said awkwardly. "That must have been very, er, hard for you." Playing a sympathetic person was harder than Ian thought.

Amy scratched her nose, secretly wiping her eyes, trying not to let any tears fall. "It was hard. But I got through it," she muttered.

Ian shrugged. "Well, not sure this will comfort you in any way, but my mother was never very motherly. She was practically the daughter of the devil!"

Amy raised her eyebrows. That woman had to be pretty bad if _he_ thought she was mean. "That doesn't really surprise me, but...I'm sorry you had such a horrible mother."

He shrugged again. "I actually learned quite a bit from her. But she would be rather disappointed if she saw me now."

"Why?"

"Well, she would be absolutely _terrified_ that I was eating with a 'regular person'. And she would be shocked to find out that I let our home come to be like it is."

Amy couldn't help laughing.

"Oh, that's not all!" Ian cracked a smile. "But if I told you anymore, I don't think you would ever finish your breakfast from laughing to hard."

Amy shook her head. "I'm full, anyways." It was true. Amy had eaten most of her food, and it _was_ rather filling. Ian's plate was fairly vacant as well.

"Alright, then," Ian stood up. He turned around, and out of the room he went.

Amy had no idea where he was going, but she assumed it was the West Wing, the place she had been forbidden to go to. So she in turn decided to return to her room.

- - -

"Well?" Jonah asked.

Ian trudged on, ignoring the small candle stick holder hoping around his paws.

"Ian!" Jonah whined. "C'mon! What happened? I want the dirt! What did ya say to the girl? Did ya make out in that passageway?"

The Beast glared at Jonah. "We most certainly did _not!_ Really, the whole time we argued. Nothing more."

"Well, you seemed nice at breakfast with her. An' she even laughed! Yo, tha's gold!"

Ian growled and sat in the tattered arm chair that was in the West Wing. "Shut it. There isn't anything between us."

Jonah sighed. "Dude, you need to break tha' spell!"

"I know," Ian muttered. "I know. But I can't force her to do it. And time is running out." Ian glanced to his left. There was the rose, were two petals lay on the table below it. He didn't know if he could do it. He had honestly never cared for another person but himself in his life. And then Amy came along, and suddenly he almost felt-what was the word? Sad. He almost felt sad for her, and the fact that she had felt sympathy for him at one moment was even stranger. She was certainly different from all of the girls he had met before. Of course, most of those had slapped him once they realized what a jerk he was...

Wait. Had he just admitted to himself that he was (or at least had been) a jerk? He was worried for a second, but then Ian realized that this must be a good thing.

"This just might work," he muttered to himself. "Maybe I'm not completely hopeless."

- - -

The days trickled on, and Amy continued to join the Beast for all three meals everyday. The conversations weren't always so awkward or tear-provoking. Usually Amy and Ian bickered over something or other, debating over nothing. It was quite entertaining for both of them to insult one another, although it was more like teasing.

Slowly, the two actually became friends.

When Amy didn't argue with the Beast, she talked to Hope or Irina. Hope would tell Amy about anything she wanted to know, granted Hope knew the answers to Amy's questions. The only topic she avoided (with great skill) was the enchantment that was upon everyone in the castle. She had told Amy that it had happened on Ian's birthday, however, and that there had been many guests to celebrate it, and that was why Jonah had been there in the first place. He was the entertainment. (Sadly.) All of the guests had left before the spell had been cast, and that was why the enchantment was limited to Jonah, Ian, Natalie, and all of the servants.

When Amy talked to Irina, she told her about the KGB, and life in Russia. Nikolai often sat with his mother, filling her in with details whenever she forgot something. He had obviously heard the stories plenty of times, and enjoyed every retelling.

Nikolai asked Amy to play with him often. Amy grinned and said she would, and asked what game they would play. Nikolai said they had to get Ian to play also, before he told her. So with much arguing and persuading, Ian, Amy, and Nikolai the teacup sat in the main living room, with a nice fire nearby, and Natalie studying her nails with a bored expression upon her face.

"What are we going to do?" Amy asked.

Nikolai grinned. "Play 'Spin The Bottle'."

Ian and Amy immediately protested, Amy blushing all the way.

The days were fairly routine for the most part. Amy would wake up, Hope would help her get dressed and offer to do Amy's hair, which she kindly refused. She said that she preferred to just keep it in a simple ponytail. It would stay out of her way. "And besides," she explained, "It's not like I have anyone to impress."

Amy would eat breakfast with the Beast, and the arguments and teasing would begin. After the two had finally had enough and they were finished eating, the Beast would usually go back to his study in the West Wing, but occasionally he would take Amy outside to get some fresh air. They took walks out in the huge gardens which were overgrown and wild.

Amy didn't mind, though. She still thought it was beautiful. "It looks so natural," she said.

After a short walk, Amy would talk with Irina or Hope. Sometimes she even conversed with Natalie, and learned more about her and Ian's past. Once she even talked with Jonah, but soon grew frustrated with his slang that she could barely understand. He didn't mind that Amy didn't want to talk to him very much. He spent most of his time with Nellie, a maid who just so happened to be a huge fan of his, and who had been turned into a duster. Amy had met her, and liked her well enough.

Eventually lunch would come, and the Beast and Amy would talk again, with the usual banter and loose insults flying around. Often, Irina would accuse Amy of flirting, but she would just make a face and say, "No. Definitely not."

After lunch, Amy would find different ways to entertain herself, sometimes by exploring the castle, others by playing silly games with Nikolai. A few times she had gone into the kitchen with Irina and learned some tips on cooking. Irina often asked what Amy's favorite dishes were, and those would usually be created often.

Once, during such a time that Amy was in the kitchen, Irina told her thoughtfully, "Amy, many are more happy now you are here."

Amy blushed. "I can't make that much of a difference, can I?"

Irina smiled. "You do make difference. Hope loves dressing up girls and doing hair. Nikolai is so happy to have friend to play with. I happy to teach you and cook for you. You are so cheerful, and others become so when you are around. The Master is also happy." Irina paused, and tilted her head. "Ian is not usually so happy."

A soft smile lit up Amy's face. "I...I never realized. Thank you, Irina. You are a very good friend. I thought I would be so lonely here."

Irina chuckled. "You are welcome. Now, stir soup! Do not let soup burn!"

As dinner came, Amy would prepare herself for another encounter with Ian. She sometimes saved her best arguments and teasing tactics for the last meal, hoping to leave a smile on her face after the meal was done as she got ready for bed.

She never told anyone, but she sometimes had nightmares. Amy wasn't sure if Hope knew or not, but they usually had to do with her father. Amy had no idea where her father was, or what he was doing. He obviously hadn't been happy with her staying here while he went free. She just hoped he didn't do anything stupid.

One night, after dinner, Jonah gave a little performance for Ian and Amy. They sat at the dining table together, with Nellie and Natalie, as well as Irina. Jonah...Well, Amy wasn't entirely sure what he was doing. She thought he was trying to sing, but it rather hurt her ears. She could tell Ian didn't enjoy it either, although Nellie was hollering in appreciation.

"And you hired him for your birthday?" Amy hissed.

Ian winced. "A mistake, obviously, although it was actually Natalie who arranged it."

Amy nodded. "That makes sense. She would want to torture you."

After Jonah was done, Amy was tempted to clap just to be polite, but instead said, "Jonah...Don't ever do that again. My ears might fall off."

Nellie had nearly bitten her head off, but Jonah held her back, saying, "Yo, it's all cool! Not everyone digs my sound."

Nellie huffed, and said, "Why, I will never know."

Only a week had passed when one day, after lunch, the Beast took Amy's hand. "I've been wanting to show you something," he confessed.

Amy raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"Come on," he gestured.

Amy smiled, not sure what to say, but instead followed. Ian led her through countless hallways, and Amy was soon lost. She wasn't very familiar with this part of the castle, and she was confused at what Ian was showing her. It wasn't the West Wing, she knew. That was on the other side of the castle.

They finally reached a large pair of double doors.

"Close your eyes," the Beast said, excited.

Amy did so, refraining from asking any questions, and Ian waved a paw in front of her eyes to make sure she wasn't peeking.

After this, he pushed open the doors, and directed her into the room. He pulled the curtains away from multiple windows, and Amy tilted her head.

"I'm waiting," she said, tapping her foot, pretending to be impatient.

Ian chuckled. "Almost, Amy. Just a few more moments." He opened the last set of curtains blocking the sunlight, and then came back to where Amy was standing. "Alright," he told her. "Open them."

Amy did so, wondering what Ian had prepared for her.

And then her mouth fell open in shock.

Lining the walls of the gigantic room were millions of bookshelves that held billions of books. There were even stairs that led to landings that had more bookshelves. Amy counted four of these.

Amy turned around slowly, taking it all in. Then she turned around again.

"So...So many books...I can hardly believe it!" she cried, a smile of amazement evident upon her face.

"Do you like it?" Ian asked, hesitant.

Amy faced him. "I love it! I didn't know you had a library! Why didn't you tell me?"

The Beast ducked his head. (An odd sight.) "I...I was talking to Irina earlier. She told me that you enjoyed reading."

"Enjoy?" Amy snorted. "I practically inhale books. That's how my father describes it."

Ian chuckled. "Then this room is yours."

Amy turned from studying the titles of some nearby books. "What?" she asked.

"It's yours," he repeated.

Amy blinked, not sure what to think. Then she ran forward and rapped her arms around Ian, giving him the biggest hug she could. (Which wasn't so easy, seeing as the Beast was much larger than her.)

"Thank you," she whispered.

Ian smiled, and gently squeezed her back. "You are welcome."

Then he left her to explore the books at will. He came back to call her for dinner, and found her sitting in an armchair, books piled around her, drinking in the words from the pages of a book with a blue leather cover.

"Still here?" he chuckled.

Amy looked up, startled. "What? Oh, yes, of course I'm still here!"

"Well, Irina wants you to have some dinner. We've waited long enough for you already."

Amy stood up reluctantly. "I can come back, right?" she asked.

"Of course!" the Beast laughed. "This room is yours, remember?"

Amy grinned, and followed him out of the room.

And so Amy added the library to her daily agenda, and could constantly be found here, reading whatever books she chose.

And the days went on, until Amy had been there for a month. The weather started changing, and although it was still warm, it was starting to change into fall...

- - -

Arthur was absolutely miserable.

He was afraid that Amy was already dead. He didn't know how long she could survive in that poor, disgusting cell that he had been trapped in before. Were they even feeding her? That horrible beast! Arthur constantly thought about Amy and her predicament. He hoped she was holding on. He intended to save her, no matter what it took.

After being rejected by his own town, which was rather understandable, seeing as they hadn't hesitated to call him a fool before, Arthur decided to look farther for help. Which meant traveling away with Dan.

Which obviously was a major setback in Hamilton's plan that Arthur was unaware of.

Hamilton had no idea what to do with Arthur gone, so he decided to just bide his time and make sure that he could capture Arthur swiftly and efficiently. Reagan helped him reluctantly, but Madison participated with vigor.

And so Arthur continued searching for help for his daughter, unaware of the unfortunate events waiting for his return. Also known as: Hamilton.

Eventually, though, after a month of fruitless results, he had to resort to going on his own. He didn't care if he died trying to save Amy. He just wanted his only daughter safe.

- - -

Ian was a nervous wreck.

"What if I muck it up?" he asked in frustration.

"Dude, chill!" Jonah said cooly. "She'll dig the new look."

The Beast looked at himself doubtfully. He'd tried on plenty of different suits that had been tailored to fit his larger frame. He looked as dashing as a beast could look, but he was still nervous.

"Jonah, I have to admit it. I love Amy with everything I have. I don't know how she did it, but she stole my heart."

Jonah grinned. "We're half way there, man! All ya' gotta' do is act smooth."

Ian sighed. "Jonah, I cannot just 'act smooth'. I know this sounds cliche, but I want her to love me for who I am. Jonah...She is probably the most unique girl in the world. She is stubborn, smart, sweet, gentle, defiant, and beautiful, all in one! We are actually friends now, and...I don't want to ruin that. If she never does love me, at least we can still have our friendship." Ian looked down. "She has completely changed me, Jonah. For the better. I never thought I would get this far. And now I am absolutely terrified that I will ruin it."

Jonah rolled his eyes. "Dude, again, I say: _chill_. Don't worry 'bout it, man! If you is what ya' want her to dig, than be that!"

Ian made a face at Jonah's choice of words. He should have been used to that by now. "My 21st birthday is tomorrow, Jonah," he said. "If she doesn't love me by then...We will stay this way for forever."

Jonah gulped. "Forever is a long time..." he muttered. "Well, let's get you to that ballroom, then! C'mon. Dude, ya' got some seducing to do!"

- - -

Amy was terrified she would ruin the ballroom dress that Hope had urged her to wear.

She didn't know why everyone wanted her to spend this night with Ian, but they had all insisted. She figured it was important, but she didn't know why. It could have something to do with the enchantment that no one would tell her about, but she wasn't sure.

The dress she was in was the most gorgeous thing she had ever seen. It fit her perfectly, making her look more lovely than ever before. The bodice was simple enough. The cut of the neck was modest, which Amy was grateful for, and the sleeves were cut off just below her shoulders. The skirt was flowing and elegant. It spread out wide, and the design of it was rather elaborate. The dress shimmered a bit when she moved, and the whole thing was a beautiful shade of jade green that matched her eyes perfectly.

Amy was sure that when she went down the stairs that she would trip over her heels (which were also jade) and ruin it.

Her hair was just as lovely as the dress. Amy had let Hope style it, and her auburn hair had been piled artistically on top of her head, with a few locks curled around the front. Her makeup was simple, just a dusting of green eyeshadow, a hint of blush, and some lipstick. A small amount of mascara had even been applied. All in all, Amy had never felt more beautiful. She felt like she had just stepped out of a mythical love story. She also felt out of place. She had never thought about her looks. Sure, she had received compliments all of her life, although she never put much effort into her daily outfit. Just enough to look presentable.

Hope had worked for _two hours_ to accomplish this. Even Natalie was impressed. But one thing irked Amy, and nagged at the back of her mind.

What would Ian think?

- - -

Amy bit her lip.

_Keep calm,_ she told herself. _Don't worry. You will be fine. You know Ian. He...He won't laugh at you, even if you look ridiculous._

Amy's stomach had erupted into a flurry of butterflies. She was standing at the top of the staircase that led to the ballroom. She could hear Ian pacing below, muttering to himself. Amy slowly descended the staircase, careful not to trip.

Ian heard her, somehow, and turned. When he saw her, his mouth dropped wide open in amazement, revealing his many large, white, pointy teeth.

Amy wasn't sure if this was a good thing or a bad thing. But she couldn't stop now. Once she reached Ian, she was hesitant to look up at him. She had definitely noticed that Ian looked rather...Well, handsome, actually. She was very used to his monstrous appearance, and she blushed as she realized that she liked it right now.

Ian's mind was reeling. "You look..." he managed, "breathtaking."

Amy's blush deepened. "I...You look wonderful, too."

Ian smiled. Amy didn't lie. He had learned that during her stay here. "Thank you."

Amy looked up at the Beast's sincere and gentle face. A month ago, she never would have thought that he would ever look at her like that. The change over him had come so slowly...She didn't know why she hadn't seen it there before.

Music sounded from no where, but Amy didn't have time to wonder where it came from. Ian offered his arm, and Amy took it, and the two swept into the middle of the ballroom

The Beast put his right paw on Amy's waist, and took her right hand in his left paw. Amy rested her other hand on his shoulder, and the two began to waltz. It was a little awkward at first, but soon Amy was smiling and having a wonderful time.

Ian had never been happier.

Amy gazed into Ian's eyes. She had never really studied them before. They were the most amazing eyes she had ever seen! They were a shade of amber she hadn't really seen before, with flecks of darker brown and gold in them. But it wasn't just the color of them that had Amy mesmerized. It was the intensity with which the Beast stared into her own. Suddenly, Amy wanted to kiss him.

Which startled her. She was certain it would startle anyone.

But Amy didn't let herself do that. She wasn't sure how that would work. How did you kiss a beast? And...Amy was afraid that Ian wouldn't want to kiss her. It was silly, she supposed. From his expression, she thought he might not mind...But she didn't want to risk it. Instead, she continued to lose herself in his gaze, and they danced for a long time...

The music ended softly, and Amy and Ian stood there for a moment, before he led her out onto a balcony. The cool night air felt refreshing against Amy's warm skin. She smiled and sat down on a bench, and patted the space beside her, motioning for Ian to sit as well. He did so, and smiled at her.

"Amy," he said, taking her hand, "Are you happy here?"

Amy smiled softly at Ian. "Of course. I love it here. The only thing I don't like is..." Amy looked down and bit her lip.

"What?" he asked, concerned. "What's wrong, Amy? I will do everything within my power to fix it."

Amy looked up again. There was that look again...The intense staring that Amy had noticed while they danced. "I..." Amy took a deep breath. "I sometimes have...nightmares. About my father."

Ian's face fell. "Amy, that is terrible."

"If...I wish I could just see him one more time. Tell him I'm alright. That I'm happy here, that he doesn't need to worry."

The Beast nodded. "I'm not sure that you will be able to talk to him, Amy, but...I have a way that you can see him."

Amy's eyes widened. "What? I...I couldn't ask you to do that for me! You've already done so much..."

"Amy," Ian looked at her pointedly. "I told you, I would do everything within my power to help you. Come with me."

Amy followed Ian, curious as to what he would show her.

She stopped dead when he reached the staircase that led to the West Wing.

"I-I-Ian," she stuttered. "You...You told me never to g-go in there!"

Ian turned to her, his face solemn. "And I am grateful that you have respected that rule. Now I am letting you break it. Do you want to see your father or not?"

Amy was hesitant, but she followed the Beast up the staircase. Once they entered Ian's study, Amy gasped. The place looked like it was falling apart. Most of it was trashed or messy, and the room looked dark and forbidding. Everything except a beautiful, yet wilting rose and a hand mirror. This was where Ian spent so much time?

Ian crossed the room to the rose and the mirror. He looked at the rose to see that there were three petals left. One of them fell as he stared at it. He let out a breath, and then picked up the mirror.

"Here," he said, handing it to Amy. "It's enchanted. You can see anyone or anything you want. Just ask it."

Amy bit her lip. Had Ian ever observed her with this mirror? But she took it, and didn't ask him any questions, instead asking a favor of the mirror.

"I want to see my papa."

Immediately, Amy saw an image of her father, Arthur. Her breath caught in her throat. Arthur was tied up, sitting in a cold, bare room.

Hamilton was sneering at him. "Amy will find out that you are captured. She will come out of her little hiding place, wherever that is!"

"I told you, she is in custody of the Beast! She does not know..." Arthur said weakly.

Hamilton snorted. "Riiiight."

Amy put down the mirror. "Oh...Oh no..." Amy paused, trying not to let her tears fall. She hated Hamilton. She really did.

Ian gently brought up Amy's chin so she would look at him. "Amy...You must go help you father. I don't know what that man will do to him if you don't. Please, go."

Amy's eyes widened. "You...You will let me go?"

Ian nodded, turning away from her so that she wouldn't see how much it hurt him to do so.

"I...Thank you," Amy whispered. She gave Ian a hug.

Ian hugged her back, but then pulled away. "Take this," he said, handing her the mirror. "That way...You can always look back...And remember me."

Amy didn't understand why Ian wanted that, but she took it. "I will come back," she promised.

Then she looked into the mirror again. "I'm coming, papa," she murmured. Then she was gone.

The Beast put a hand to his eyes. Amy was gone. He didn't know if she would ever love him. And by letting her go...That sealed his fate. He would stay a monster forever.

"Master?" Ian heard Irina say. "Master...Why is Amy leaving? What happened?"

"I let her go," he told her without turning around.

"Why?" Irina gasped.

"Because I love her."

Then, despairing in his loneliness, the Beast let out a terrible roar.


	8. Chapter 8

**I know, it's short. But the last one was long, wasn't it? And I'm trying to space this out just a little bit. The next chapter should be about this same length or so, and the last one...Eh, I'm not sure. Might be long, might be rather medium-sized. We'll see!**

**Chapter 8 - **

Amy didn't have time to change out of her ball gown. Instead she just kicked off her shoes, and put on a pair of sturdy boots. Then she rapped a cloak around her shoulders, and ran as fast as she could to the small stables where she kept Grace.

"Come on, Grace," Amy whispered. "Run as fast as you can."

Amy swung up onto her mount, and urged her onward.

Suddenly, she heard a roar come from behind her. She knew it was Ian. Tears slid down her face. She hated to leave Ian like this. He was obviously bothered by something, but Amy didn't understand it. She just hoped that when she came back, he would explain.

Assuming her father let her come back. This thought started the tears up again. How could Hamilton do this? She couldn't make any sense of it, but Hamilton had never been very bright.

Amy angrily wiped at her tears. She couldn't cry now. Although there was a pit of dread and forbidding in her stomach, she pressed Grace on, determined to help her father.

- - -

"I...I told you already, she does not know that I am here!" Arthur protested. "She has no idea that you have tied me up..."

Hamilton slapped the old man slumped in front of him.

"Silence!" he bellowed. "I know Amy will come. Even if she is unaware, she will probably sense it. And then...My plan shall continue." An evil (and what Arthur thought was slightly crazy) grin spread across Hamilton's face. "She will come. I know it."

Arthur bowed his head. How had it come to this? Amy had no way of knowing of his suffering.

At least, that was what he thought.

The door of the room burst open, and there stood Amy, in a mud streaked jade green ball gown, and a worn leather cloak about her shoulders. Her hair was rather messed up, but it was obvious that it had been very nice before. A hand mirror was in her hand, and she was breathing heavily.

"Amy?" Arthur asked, astounded. "What...How...Why do you have a mirror? Why are you wearing a ball gown? What is going on?"

"I was going to ask that same thing," Amy said through gritted teeth, glaring at Hamilton.

Hamilton just chuckled. "So you did find us, Amy."

Amy shrugged. "I recognized this as the cellar of the Tavern. I didn't think you'd want to stay to far away from this stupid place, anyways," she spat.

"Calm down, Amy," Hamilton grinned. "You're here now. That's all that matters." He took a step forward.

Amy came into the room and knelt beside her father, ignoring Hamilton. "What did he do to you?" she asked, worried.

"I was trying to save you, Amy. I traveled for a month, looking for help. When I came back here, determined to just go on my own, I passed by an alley...And then it all went dark."

A tear made it's way down Amy's cheek. "Papa, I wish I could have told you. I was fine. I am very happy living with Ian. I am so sorry I couldn't warn you."

Arthur looked confused. (So did Hamilton.) "What? Who is Ian?"

"The Beast," Amy explained. "He is very kind, really."

"He visits you in that cell?!"

"I don't stay in there. I was given a room. It's very nice, actually. He let me go to come save you from Hamilton." Amy glared at the muscular man who was standing there, looking very confused.

"Wait," Hamilton said. "So you were really captured by a beast?"

"Not captured. I offered to stay so that my father could go free. I'll admit, I wasn't too fond of him at first. But now...We're friends." Amy smiled, thinking of how they had danced only an hour or so before.

Hamilton snorted. "That's weird. Anyways, Amy, in order for me to free your father, you have to agree to marry me."

Amy blinked. "You idiot," she scoffed. "You think that I will marry you after your take my father hostage? No! I would _never_ marry you! You're the real beast, Hamilton."

Hamilton gaped. That had not gone according to plan. "But...But..."

"I told you so," Reagan muttered.

Hamilton was dumb founded. How could his brilliant plan have failed?

"Look, Hamilton," Reagan said. "There's still plenty of girls out there. Remember Sinead? She likes you."

Hamilton whipped around. "Shut up!" he yelled. Then he grabbed Madison's arm. "Come on! You're the only one who agrees with me!" Hamilton practically dragged Madison out of the room, and slammed the door behind him. He then locked it, leaving Amy, Arthur, and Reagan trapped in the room.

"I'm gonna' kill your stupid Beast, Amy! See how you like that!"

Hamilton ran off, intent on doing what he said. He was a better tracker than Reagan or Madison. It would be easy to find this Beast Amy spoke of.

Madison stood there, unsure of what to do. "Hamilton?" she called.

"What?!"

"What do you want me to do?"

"Make sure they don't bust down the door or something."

Madison looked down. "Sure."

All of her life, Madison had obeyed Hamilton. After their parents had died, Hamilton had taken charge. Madison had always fought to be seen as the better twin. That way, she would get more privileges. But now...She couldn't just leave her sister in there! She didn't know why she hadn't realized how crazy Hamilton was before. He was really stupid, too. Madison made up her mind.

She didn't really care about Amy or that Arthur dude, but she did care about Reagan. You try leaving your twin for dead with a crazy old man and a book worm in a ball gown. That could give you nightmares.

So Madison turned to the door, and muttered to herself, "I said I would make sure _they_ didn't bust down the door. That doesn't mean that I can't!"

Madison then ran up the stairs, and came into the main room of the Tavern. Hamilton was already gone by now, no doubt on his horse with a torch in hand, racing through the down pour of rain.

"Hey, barman!" Madison called. "You got an axe somewhere?"

The barman nodded wearily. "What ye wan et fer?" he asked drunkenly.

"I need to break down a door that my idiotic brother locked. Can I use it?"

He shrugged, found an axe, and handed it over the counter to her. "Thanks! I'll bring it back! Most likely..."

Madison ran back down to the basement, and hefted the axe over her shoulder. "Stand back, guys!" she yelled. "I"m breaking you out!"

"Madison?" Reagan asked. "What? Why?"

"'Cause Hamilton's an idiot, that's why! Now step back!"

And with that, Madison swung the axe. The wood splintered on contact, but Madison had to give it a few more tries before she was able to swing the door open.

Arthur was still tied up, and stared at the young girl with wide eyes. Amy was crouched beside her father, trying to undo the knots of the ropes, but failing hopelessly. Reagan, however, was grinning at Madison.

"You're awesome, Madison."

"Breathe a word of this to anybody, and you're dead," Madison hissed.

Reagan nodded. "So long as no one finds out Hamilton locked me in here, yeah, we're good." Reagan then crossed over to Arthur and Amy, and quickly undid the knots. "Alright, Amy, you go ahead and catch up to Hamilton. Madison and I will take care of Arthur."

Amy looked at the girls hesitantly, but decided she would have to trust them. She gave her father a quick kiss on the cheek, and said, "I'll come and take care of you as soon as I can."

As Amy walked back into the Tavern and onto the street, she held the hand mirror and said, "Show me Ian."

- - -

Hamilton was furious. He had lost the most beautiful girl in town to a stupid _animal._ He honestly didn't understand it. Not that he understood many things. But this was an absolutely alien concept to him.

He followed Grace's hoof prints back towards the castle, and he had to admit, it was pretty impressive. Rather intimidating, yes, but impressive.

He swung open the gates, and barged into the main hall. "Where are you, Beast?!" He called. "Come out come out wherever you are! I heard you're friends with Amy. What did the poor girl ever do to you?!" he sneered. Hamilton went up a flight of stairs, and heard voices.

"What will the Master do?"

"Amy left. He doesn't even want to live anymore if she doesn't love him back."

"Yo, all ya' gotta' chill! There's a crazy dude out there, we gotta' get rid of him."

"Ooh, I agree, Jonah! You're sooo smart..."

"Why thanks, Nells!"

Hamilton swiftly passed the voices. If they were protecting their 'Master', who was 'in love with Amy', then the Beast couldn't be too far.

For once, Hamilton was right. He only had to open a few doors before he found the West Wing. It wasn't a very cozy place, but what would you expect from a monster? What did surprise him was the rose that somehow hovered above a table under a glass case. What was even stranger was that it only had one petal left, and the rest were piled around it.

"Beast?! WHERE ARE YOU?! I have come to slay you!"

A slumped figure raised it's massive head. The eyes were sullen, and the mouth was frowning, but not in anger. It seemed weak, and this made Hamilton angrier. He wanted to _fight _the thing, not just chop off it's head in one go!

"Come on, you filthy thing! Let us fight to the death!"

The Beast just shook it's head, and with a sigh, turned to the rose forlornly.

This frustrated Hamilton. "You coward! I don't know why Amy wanted to be friends with _you._" Hamilton shoved the Beast, and the unexpected force drove him to the small balcony nearby.

"Wha–" he managed before Hamilton slugged him.

It took a short while for Ian to regain his bearings, but then he got up and swatted Hamilton away, who went flying. He landed with a hard crunch, but Hamilton lifted himself up.

"You thought it would be that easy?" he taunted. "Think again!" Hamilton drew his sword, and pointed it towards the Beast's heart.

Now Hamilton had Ian annoyed. Sure, he didn't feel like living anymore. But he certainly didn't want to be badgered by this stupid man who had held Amy's father captive. No, that would be just humiliating to be killed by him. Not that anyone would _see_ it, but still.

So Ian and Hamilton began sparring, Ian relying on his claws, teeth, and larger frame as well as greater strength to push his enemy back. Hamilton used his sword and the skills he had learned all throughout his life to force away everything the Beast threw at him. The battle was intense, but neither would have been able to recall the last thing they did to each other–The rain blurred their vision, and they occasionally slipped, giving the other a slight advantage before they slipped as well. Then they would be at it again, trying by any means necessary to hurt the other. Hamilton yelled at the Beast constantly, trying to unnerve and distract him with insults, but for all it was worth, they just slid away and were soon forgotten.

Ian was driven to do one thing–Avenge Amy and her father, who were who-knows-where.

Finally, the battle reached a stage when the Beast grabbed Hamilton by the throat and dangled him over the edge of the castle.

"No, please!" Hamilton begged, suddenly afraid. "Don't! Don't kill me! I know, I said that we were fighting to the death, but...Haha, that was a joke! A joke! You didn't honestly believe me, did you? Oh...I see you did...But please, I beg of you! Let me down! Please!"

The Beast's face was a hard mask of rage. This man was pathetic.

But then a voice called out in the darkness, and Ian turned around, Hamilton nearly forgotten. "Amy?" he asked, bewildered.

Ian had no time to see Hamilton reach for his knife and plunge it into his side.


	9. Chapter 9

**Wow, sorry I took so long updating. I would have started writing this right after I finished chapter 8, but my mom banned me from excessive typing because I had to focus on a Piano recital. And yet I did horribly at it. What was the point? Sigh. Anyways, here it is. Enjoy.**

Chapter 9 -

The night was dark. The moon was blocked by storm clouds which showered rain upon the sleeping world below it. It was late at night, and winds blew harshly, causing nearly everyone to stay inside by a fire and in warm blankets. The air was made even colder by the fact that the seasons were changing, and summer was slowly coming to an end.

But what made Amy Cahill's blood freeze was fear, and had hardly anything to do with the weather. Not that she would have minded if the rain let up, or if it was a little brighter. It was hard enough to see with no moon or starlight to guide her, and the rain hindered her vision even more.

Nevertheless, she pushed Grace onward, trying to get through the wild forest and to the castle were the Beast stayed. But unlike Hamilton, she had no torch, and she couldn't make out the tracks on the ground very well, fresh as they were. And the rain was causing them to disappear...Still, Amy was certain she knew the way. This was her third time along the path, and she hoped she could reach the castle in time.

Amy shuddered as she remembered what she had seen in the mirror. The Beast had been slumped on the balcony of the West Wing, and...Ian had been _crying._ She had never seen anyone so seemingly heart broken in her life. The mysteries surrounding the Beast and his castle was thick, but Amy was determined to discover the truth behind the fog.

If she could get to the castle in time to warn Ian.

This thought pushed Amy forward with more resolution, and she urged Grace to run faster. Which didn't improve things much. The path wasn't exactly clear, and it was growing muddy from all the rain. Also, Amy could hardly see, so it was hard to steer Grace. She was running out of time.

Twigs and branches snagged at Amy's hair and cloak, and ripped off bits of her muddy dress. It was ruined now, but she really didn't care. Fancy clothes had never mattered to her, and she wasn't about to cry over it now. Not with Ian's life at stake. Hamilton had said he would kill him. Amy was sure that the Beast could defend himself, but he had shown such kindness to her not long ago...It was suddenly hard to imagine him fighting anyone, even if it _was_ in self defense, not to mention the fact that Ian was so unhappy. It looked like he had been ready to die right then and there.

But finally, Amy could see a looming building in the distance. She had reached the castle!

Amy jumped off of Grace, and stumbled a bit on her landing. But she didn't care. She remembered when she and Ian had been trapped in that passageway- She had twisted her ankle. Amy fervently hoped that she wouldn't do that this time. She needed all the speed she could get.

As Amy ran towards the gate, she thought she could hear growls and shouts in the distance. They were already fighting! Amy pushed open the gate, which took a lot of strength. Had it been this heavy before, or was it just her imagination and her anxiety? After squeezing through the opening, she ran into the courtyard, then slipped on the muddy ground.

"No!" she gasped. She could not allow to waste anymore time!

"You honestly think you can beat me?!" Hamilton cried.

Amy looked up. Hamilton and Ian were sparring outside, in the rain! They were still on the balcony of the West Wing, but they seemed to be progressing onto the roof. What if Ian fell? It would be easy for him to slip. She had just done so, and that was just from mud. The roof tiles were slick and icy. He wouldn't last long...

Biting her lip, Amy studied the outside of the castle. She didn't know if she could run fast enough through the castle to reach them. For a moment, she wondered if she could scale the castle walls. Going straight up could be faster...But with all the rain, it would be difficult, not to mention her tattered ball gown, which would most definitely get in the way.

Amy stood up, about to go into the castle, when she noticed a route...Maybe scaling the castle walls would be faster after all. If she used that ivy to get started...She could get up to the third floor pretty quickly. Amy had climbed enough trees in her day, and she had even climbed ivy before. Once she got there, there were plenty of grooves in the walls...She just might make it, if she hurried.

She grabbed hold of the ivy, and hoisted herself off. The branch of ivy threatened to break, but then held. Amy climbed as fast as she could, every now and then having to stop and try to move her dress out of the way, or brush hair away from her face. But she made progress swiftly, driven on by the mocking shouts she heard from Hamilton.

Amy was _not_ going to let Hamilton kill Ian. There was no way she was letting that happen.

Amy reached the end of the ivy, and climbed onto a stretch of roof. Clinging to the edges, she stood and shuffled to where she had decided to start climbing next. It was only a little ways to the balcony...

And then things started to happen in slow motion.

Hamilton had dealt Ian a nasty blow, but the Beast paid no attention to it. He instead found an opening, and grabbed Hamilton by the throat. Soon, he was dangling over the edge of the roof, but Ian's back was still to Amy.

Somehow, Amy knew Hamilton would fall to his death if she didn't do something to stop it. She didn't want Hamilton to die, really. She couldn't force herself to hate anyone that much. And she didn't want to make Ian a killer. Maybe, if they let Hamilton go, he would be smart enough to just run away and leave them in peace.

She hoped.

Hamilton was busy pleading to live, practically peeing his pants. (Which Amy would have laughed at, had the situation not been quite so serious.)

"No!" she cried out, trying to stop Ian. "Don't!"

The Beast looked up. "Amy?" he asked in wonder, turning around.

And then a knife was plunged into his side, and he fell down onto the balcony. Amy screamed. Hamilton stood up, cackling madly. Then Hamilton was about to take a step forward, and slipped. Being so close to the edge of the roof, he fell over it.

Amy honestly didn't care if he died. Now, seeing what an absolute monster he was, it was better if he did. But she wasn't going to waster her time over him.

She had to get to Ian.

After pulling herself onto the balcony, she crawled over to were Ian was as fast as she could without slipping. The rain still poured down, and Amy wasn't about to take any chances, even if there was a railing nearby.

Once she reached Ian, she rolled his body over so that he was looking up at her. Somehow, he was still alive!

"Ian," she breathed. A tear trickled out of her eye.

The Beast's eyes seemed glassed over and lost, but he was able to focus on the girl kneeling beside him.

"Amy?" he asked. He raised a paw to her face, to make sure it was her. "You...You came back." Tears were falling out of Ian's eyes now, too. She had come back! Maybe she really did love him. Maybe...

But it didn't matter now. He was going to die anyways. The only thing that mattered was that she was here now. That meant something.

"Of course I came back," Amy said, smiling gently despite her tears. "Once Hamilton said he was going to kill you...I had to leave my father with Reagan and Madison. I had to try to save you."

Ian didn't know who Reagan and Madison were, but he didn't have room to care. "Amy..." It felt so good to say her name. "Amy, thank you. Thank you..."

Amy bit her lip to keep the sobs from escaping. "You're welcome," she said as she smoothed down a bit of Ian's fur. She was trying to comfort him in anyway possible, while trying not to break down herself.

Ian managed to smile, and then sighed. "Amy...Before I die..."

"You _won't die,_ Ian."

The Beast chuckled. "Even in the most perilous of situations, you can still be stubborn. Amy, face it. That was a fatal injury." He winced as he remembered the white hot fiery pain that had erupted from the dagger. "Look. We have to face the facts. I didn't think I would die so soon...And a while ago, I didn't really care. But now that you're here..." he took in a shuddering breath. "That puts things in a whole new perspective."

Amy tilted her head, slightly confused. "What?"

"Amy, I want to tell you a few things before I go."

"No, Ian, you'll be fine! I'll go find Irina. I'm sure she can do something to help you!"

Ian shook his head, and grabbed Amy's arm to keep her from rising. "No. Stay with me. Listen to what I have to say before...Before it is too late."

Ian glanced to the side. He could just make out the rose...It still had that last petal clinging to it.

"Do you want to know about the enchantment?"

Amy's eyes widened, and she nodded.

"Alright. It all happened on my 14th birthday, which was nearly seven years ago. It was almost midnight, and suddenly, a knock came at the front door. I was in the room at the time, and decided I might as well open it. You never knew, it might have been a late present. I was still rather greedy back then."

A smile crept onto Amy's face as she continued to stroke Ian's head, silently listening. She couldn't imagine Ian as anything other than a beast, and all she could imagine were his eyes. Oh, his eyes... No. Listen to the story.

"I opened the door, and there was an ugly old hag. I was shocked, but then she asked to stay the night in my castle, offering a rose as payment. Naturally, I was disgusted, and although the rose was pretty enough, I didn't see the significance of it. So I turned her away. Then, to my utter sorrow, she changed before my eyes into a beautiful enchantress. I was stunned, and then realized my mistake, but it was too late. She laid a curse-Well, enchantment, really- on my castle and I, and everyone in it. I was changed into a hideous beast, and everyone else became common household appliances. The only way to lift the spell was to learn to love another. A girl. And that girl had to love me back."

Amy's eyebrows had been furrowed as she digested this information, but then her eyes widened again, and her mouth fell open. She stopped stroking Ian's brow. "So...You...You were trying to...And I was just..."

"No!" Ian said forcefully. "It wasn't like that. I had no intent of just using you. I figured I could put up an act, and maybe you would see past my ugly face. But I knew that would get me no where. This wasn't a one way thing. I had to fall in love with you, too. It would have been easier if I wasn't such a monster, and for the longest time, I was hopeless. Who could ever love a beast, really?"

Amy sat there, looking slightly lost. Had Ian really just been using her, despite what he said?

"So the others figured they could somehow get us together."

"The spin the bottle...When we were stuck in the passageway..."

"Yes. That was their idea of a romantic date. But eventually...I tried to be somewhat tolerant of you. I don't normally associate with anyone of...Er, 'lower status'. But you were so different. Smart, funny, stubborn, and so witty...I practically lived for our conversations for a while. I don't know how you did it, Amy, but you did. Amy..." Ian raised a paw to Amy's tear stained cheek again. "_I love you._"

Amy took in a sharp breath. She had figured he would say something like that, once he started talking about how fascinated he was with her. But it was something different entirely to hear him say that. She studied his eyes, searched for the truth. And she was practically hypnotized again. Ian's eyes were still that brilliant color, even though he was dying. And he stared at her with such utmost tenderness, truth, kindness..._love._ He actually loved her. And then it all made sense. Everything that had happened. The pieces of the puzzle had all fallen together.

But how could it just end here? It couldn't!

"But, Ian...You...You won't die!" More tears streamed down Amy's face. "Irina can help you. Then...then..." Amy wasn't sure what to say. _Then I'll love you, and the spell will be broken! _She didn't know if she loved him. Did she? It was hard to tell. She had to reflect on her feelings for him, and she didn't know how long it would be before he died...

"No, Amy. The spell is locked on my 21st birthday. It's almost midnight. Tomorrow...I will face my fate, and become a beast forever. If I don't die first."

Amy gasped. "But...But..."

Ian closed his eyes and leaned his head back onto the ground. "Amy, I understand if you do not love me as well. I cannot change anything."

Amy shook her head. "No. No!"

"_Amy...I love you..._"

Even as the life began to seep away from the Beast, Amy, sobbing, whispered into his ear, "I love you, too."

And she meant every word.

- - -

Amy didn't know how long she wept in the rain. She just cried, sobbed, and wept for all she was worth. Not that it was going to do any good. Amy understood now that the rose in the glass case was the rose that the enchantress had offered Ian. But now it was wilting. And the last petal was barely holding on.

She wanted it to fall. Just get it over with. He was already dead, and none of it mattered anymore.

"Just fall, already!" she practically screamed at it. "Stop mocking me! I couldn't save him in time, alright?! Please, just..." Amy collapsed into sobs again.

Irina, Natalie, Jonah and Nellie stood at the edge of the table that the rose was on.

"That's it...I'm a candle. Forever," Jonah muttered.

"Shut up!" Irina hissed. "Poor girl weeps for Ian. And you worry for yourself? You sicken me!"

Natalie rolled her eyes. "It's not like he cares about anyone else. No offense, Nellie. He's just a stuck up snob."

"Oh, and you're not?" Nellie shot back.

"Stop it!" Irina cried. "Let us...Let us go. We should leave Amy and Ian alone for a while longer."

Amy hadn't even noticed that they were there, though. She just kept on crying, wishing, praying that Ian wasn't gone for forever. But what could she do? She had been so blind. She'd had no idea. And now it was too late.

Nothing mattered anymore. Sure, she still had to go back to her father. But other than that, she had nothing. She would never find joy in her books anymore. Every time she saw one, she would be reminded of her library. And she would break down again.

"Please," she whispered. "Please. Let him live. I love him. Let. Him. _Live._"

And then the last petal fell.

- - -

**Ok. So halfway through writing this chapter, I found out that I won. How lame is that? I find it extremely so. And ironic. Extremely ironic. Anyways, don't kill me! Please! I know, you'll hate me for this. But there is still ONE MORE CHAPTER!!! It'll be great. :) Anyways, this has been my favorite one so far. Sorry if you hate it for that horrible cliffy at the end, but...Yeah. Don't kill me. Don't swear. Just...Tell me what you honestly think of it.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Yeah, I know, FINALLY. But guess what? Yup, this story sucks. And yet I won. How messed up this world? Very. Anyways. I recently saw a performance of 'Beauty and the Beast'. ...This story sucks. Immensely so. Anyways...You're probably all dying to read this...I wouldn't be surprised if you just skipped this A/N. Haha. Anyways...Yeah, here it is.**

**Amy and the Beast - Chapter 10**

_And then the last petal fell..._

Amy felt something move under her. What was it? The only thing that was under her was Ian's lifeless body. So why was it...?

Amy jerked up. If he was moving...Was it possible that he was still alive? But then she realized, he wasn't really moving. His body was somehow being lifted up and into the night...It looked so limp, floating up there...Why was it floating? Who was doing this? Amy simply didn't understand it. This new set of events was frightening her. She backed away until she felt the balcony rails at her back.

Ian's body suddenly started changing. The fur started to shrink away. The horns disappeared, and his large teeth grew visibly smaller. That wasn't the only thing that shrunk- So did his entire body frame! His body started glowing slightly, too.

What was happening to Amy's beloved Beast? Now, coming slowly back down, was the body of a man. His skin was darker toned, almost like cinnamon, and his hair was black. She couldn't study his eyes, as they were closed. Amy wondered if this was Ian...But why would the spell end? Why would he be turned back now, if he was dead?

Unless he_ wasn't_ dead.

The body fell to the ground, and Amy heard a grunt. She tried to back away further, but couldn't. If this wasn't Ian...Well, in an enchanted castle, anything was possible, wasn't it?

The man slowly pushed himself up, and finally managed to stand, studying his hands and feeling his face, as if he had never seen anything like it before. He fingered his tattered clothing for a bit, with a slight look of disgust, but then he chose to ignore it. Instead, his eyes searched around him, and then he saw her.

"Amy!" he cried.

Amy flinched. His voice _was_ similar to Ian's, but...More human, actually.

"...Amy?" the man asked, hesitant. "Don't you recognize me? It's only me, Ian."

Amy studied the man's face. She had never seen Ian in a human form...How could she be sure that this was him? Then she remembered. His eyes. She would never forget his eyes. And they would stay the same, wouldn't they?

Hesitantly and slowly, Amy stood up. She took a few steps towards the man, who stood there, arms wide. He didn't move as she came closer, knowing that she was afraid. Instead, he just watched her.

Finally, she was close enough to make out his eyes. Amy stopped and gasped. There they were. Amber, so full of emotion, it was hard to think of anything when you looked at them.

"It _is_ you," she murmured, while a small smile started to creep onto her face.

Ian smiled as well. "Of course it is. Amy...You did it! You broke the spell."

Amy blushed from his praise, but Ian just swept Amy up in a hug, holding her tight.

"Amy," he said into her hair. He could hardly believe it! How had she done it? He thought he was dead for sure, but...If he was human again...That mean that she loved him.

Well, that was good enough for him. Without another word, he lifted up Amy's chin gently with his hand, and kissed her.

- - -

Natalie huffed. "I cannot believe it. Are _all _of my dresses ruined?"

Hope sighed. "I'm afraid so, miss. Don't worry, I will try to find something suitable enough for you presently. Please be patient."

Natalie crossed her arms, scowling. "You had better find something good."

"Oh, look, miss! I found one! And it fits you perfectly!"

"How do you know? I'm not even wearing it!"

"Trust me, it will fit. Put it on."

Natalie wanted to complain more, but she did as Hope said.

It was strange, having her body again. Sure, she had still been in her regular form before, just on the back of a brush. But it still felt...different. She slipped the dress on, and looked at herself in a full length mirror. Well, it wasn't too bad, but it wasn't nearly as fancy as she wanted it to be. At least it was pink, faded as it was...

A knock came at the door, and then a voice.

"Nat! Hope! Yo! We're BAAAAAAACK!!!"

Natalie made a face. "Oh, grow up, Jonah."

Jonah didn't seem to hear her, because he ran down the hall, looking for Nellie. Life was sweet again.

- - -

Ian led Amy through the castle, which didn't seem so dark and dreary anymore. Every time he saw one of his servants, he smiled and laughed with joy, giving them a hug. Amy herself had never been happier. As Ian and Amy rounded one corner, they saw Jonah and Natalie arguing in the hall.

"I gotta' find her! Nells! Where are ya?!"

"Stop that! We need to get you out of here. Finally, I will get away from your incessant jabbering!"

"Jonah! Natalie!" Ian cried, running up to them and giving each of them a hug. Jonah stood there awkwardly, then shook his head and left to find Nellie, muttering about 'some strange dude'. Natalie's eyes bulged as she was enveloped, and she cringed.

"Let. Go. Of. Me," she said, disgust clearly written on her face.

Ian laughed, letting her go. "Natalie, do you know where–"

Ian was cut off by Amy and Irina's cries of joy as they hugged.

"Irina! I can't believe it!"

"Believe it, child. Oh, we are back! Thank you!"

Ian and Amy spent the next while hugging, laughing, smiling and talking with everyone. But it soon had to come to an end, for there was much to do.

It took a lot of effort to make sure everything was under control, and it would take several days. Ian would be stuck in his office, the West Wing, for most of the time. Amy asked him what she could do to help, and he assured her that she shouldn't have to worry about anything, but in the meantime, go back and take care of her father. Amy agreed, if a little sadly, and hurried back to town on Grace. Amy then spent most of her time explaining everything to her father. Reagan and Madison didn't really care to help Amy that much, but instead chose to explore the world. Amy didn't mind. She wished good luck to them both, and then the long days began.

She was absolutely itching to get back to Ian. It had only been recently that the spell had been broken, after all, and that meant that he loved her, and that she loved him. She knew that, and she knew Ian must know that. They hadn't had very much time alone since their reunion with the servants. Almost none.

Arthur could sense his daughter's anxiety. "Go see him," he urged her. "I am fine."

But Amy shook her head, as much as she wished she could agree. "No, papa! You are _not_ fine. Just look at yourself!" Arthur did so, and had to nod. He certainly didn't _look_ very appealing. "Once you are well again, I will take you back to the castle, and then you can live with Ian and me! You will love it. There is a huge library, wonderful gardens, and you will just love Irina's cooking! And Nikolai- Oh, that cute little boy!"

"Amy, you've told me everything about this castle over and over," Arthur chuckled. "Do not worry, I am as anxious as you to go."

Amy couldn't help smiling at her father's comforting words, and the conversation ended there. But it wasn't until exactly two weeks after the spell had been broken that she could return to the castle.

- - -

Ian sighed. When he had imagined the curse being lifted (yes, he _had_ imagined it,) he had definitely not pictured this. He was stuck in his office most of the time, putting everything back into order. This wasn't exactly a fairy tale. Everything didn't happen in the blink of an eye. He couldn't even begin to list everything he had to do...

And the fact that he missed Amy didn't help it. He had found the mirror on the balcony the day she had left. He kept it with him all the time now, and had to force himself not to use it every second of the day.

Ian put his head in his hands. He wished Amy's father would get better faster...

"Ian?"

Ian looked up. There stood Amy in the door way, slightly breathless.

"Amy," Ian smiled. He stood up, crossed the room, and the two embraced.

"I can hardly believe it. I'm finally back," she said.

Ian ran a hand through Amy's hair. "Thank goodness...Is your father alright?" he asked.

Amy nodded. "That's why I'm here. I brought him. We're staying for good this time," she told him firmly.

"About time," Ian said before he kissed Amy for the second time in his life.

**THE END**

- - -

**...Wow. This story kinda sucks. I'll admit, some parts gave me immense amounts of pleasure. But really...Yeah, this is staying on my list of failures. Anyways...Yeah. It's finally over. Finally. Now I can work on that one big project with Another Artist, PBG, and LW77! Oh, and Midnight Wishes...That would be a good thing to update. Alright. You can go now.  
**


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